A third front in the war was opened within Israel on Thursday with the kidnap/murder of a Samaria resident and shooting of two Border Guard policemen at a checkpoint at an entrance to Jerusalem.As usual, it's the refusal of the Olmert/Peretz government to combat terrorism effectively that's led to this.
Hamas and Hizbullah terrorists in Gaza and Lebanon have urged Arabs in Judea and Samaria to open up the third front. Some Arab citizens in Israel also have called for an all-out war on all fronts against Israel.
The burnt corpse of the resident of the Samarian community of Yakir was discovered in the trunk of his burnt car Thursday evening, several hours after his family reported him missing. He was finally identified early this morning as Dr. Daniel Yaakobi, father of four and grandfather of seven.
The nearly-unrecognizable vehicle was found by reserve soldiers near the village of Abus, east of Kfar Saba and the Arab city of Kalkilyeh, and near the Jewish communities of Karnei Shomron and Emanuel. Yakir, Dr. Yaakobi's hometown, is located just a few kilometers further south. The funeral, which thousands of people are expected to attend, will be held in Petach Tikvah's Segulah cemetery at 12 noon.
Police have concluded he was kidnapped and then murdered. Another resident of Samaria, Eliyahu Asheri of Itamar, was similarly kidnapped and murdered last month. Nearby areas were placed on high alert Thursday night after the body was discovered.
Earlier Thursday evening, an Arab terrorist approached a checkpoint near the Armon HaNatziv neighborhood of Jerusalem and shot two Border Guard policemen, wounding one moderately-to-seriously and the other lightly. The terrorist had surveyed the checkpoint for several days before attacking. One of the wounded officers managed to fire back and killed the attacker.