ISRAEL: Sorrow, celebration and dueling responsibility claims

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

The aftermath of the bloodiest attack in Israel in two years continues to ripple through the region. In West Jerusalem, thousands commemorated the shooting deaths of the eight young Jewish seminary students in what became a national day of mourning.

In the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabal Mukaber, the family of 25-year-old Alaa Abou Dheim held their own somber service for the man who Israeli police say opened fire in the library of the Mercaz Harav yeshiva Thursday night. Abou Dheim was killed on the scene, and several of his family members were arrested within hours. Abou Dheim’s family is stunned and confused, saying they didn’t see this coming and the young man appeared calm just hours before the attack.

In Lebanon, the attack was hailed by religious leaders during several Friday sermons. ‘The heroic operation in Jerusalem proved that jihadists in Jerusalem were capable of striking tough blows to the Zionists,’ said Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, Lebanon’s most senior Shiite cleric.

Meanwhile, speculation continued as to who was responsible and whether Abou Dheim acted alone. Israeli police say they’ve found no evidence yet of an accomplice or a connection to any militant organization. But unconfirmed reports had both Hamas and a previously obscure Lebanese group claiming responsibility.

The Hezbollah-backed Al Manar television station said it had received an anonymous call claiming responsibility by a group called the ‘Free Men of Gallilee Brigade.’ A Hamas-backed radio station in the Gaza Strip also issued an announcement of responsibility and the Reuters news agency quoted an anonymous Hamas official taking credit for the attack. But other Hamas officials denied those reports and said no official statements or claims had been issued.

— Ashraf Khalil in Jerusalem