Liberman: Release Milhem’s body so we can see how much support he has

Yisrael Beytenu chairman MK Avigdor Liberman urges the Tel Aviv gunman Nashat Milhem’s body be returned to his family.

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said earlier today that the body would be returned only when the family agrees to hold a quiet funeral that does not serve to “incite further terror attacks.”

But at a Knesset faction meeting today, Liberman, a former foreign minister, criticizes the decision, saying it was important to show that Milhem enjoyed support in his hometown of Arara, something residents of the Arab town have denied since Milhem’s January 1 killing rampage in Tel Aviv.

“We can’t be afraid all the time. I call on the public security minister to release the body, and let them all come [to the funeral] so we can photograph [Milhem’s supporters] one by one. When they tell us stories about him being a lone wolf who has no support, we will see that this simply isn’t true — we know that there are a number of accomplices who helped him and others who were silent and didn’t turn him in, dozens if not hundreds in the village who knew that he was there,” Liberman claims.

Police finally found Milhem hiding out in Arara last Friday. Milhem opened fire on police forces who tried to arrest him. He was killed when police returned fire.