Hundreds of participants arrived on Thursday morning at the Banba–Ein Riya spring near the community of Neve Tzuf in the Binyamin region for morning prayers and a musical Hallel service in memory of terror victim Netanel Shukrun, and to comfort and strengthen his bereaved family. The moving assembly took place a week and a half after the attack in which Shukrun was murdered at the natural spring as he arrived to ritually immerse with his son on the eve of Yom Kippur. On Thursday morning, the natural site was once again filled with heartfelt prayers and song.
Immediately after the fatal attack, local youth mobilized to renovate, clean, and restore the spring and its immediate surroundings, driven by an ardent determination to sustain vitality and a continued presence at the site. The Binyamin Regional Council and the Samaria Regional Council held the gathering as a joint initiative, in partnership with Binyamin Plus and the Ministry of National Missions. The service took place during Chol HaMoed Sukkot. The musical ensemble “Shir Chadash” accompanied the service, along with words of spiritual reinforcement and faith delivered by Rabbi David Dudkevitch, Rabbi Gad Machte, and Rabbi Shai Yaakobovitch.
The Head of the Binyamin Regional Council and Chairman of the Yesha Council, Israel Ganz, stated: “Returning to the spring represents a definitive victory of life over terrorism. The hundreds of people who arrived this morning offer strength to the Shukrun family and embody the spirit of a nation that continues to deepen its roots even through profound grief. Our gratitude goes to the Minister of Settlement and National Missions, Orit Strock, and her ministry team; our partners in Samaria; council leadership; the Binyamin Plus staff; the municipal leadership and residents of Neve Tzuf; and the youth who stepped up to rebuild the spring. Terrorists seek to sow fear and drive us away from our land. We will continue to build, expand the settlements, and guarantee our residents’ security through unyielding action against terror. They will never defeat us.”