Minister lauds Gavriyah for ‘putting himself in front of the terrorist’

Speaking at the funeral of Solomon Gavriyah, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan vows not to “give up or give in” after this morning’s deadly terror attack.

“Solomon showed himself today to be a true hero of Israel. He put himself in front of the terrorist. He stopped him, even as his own life was taken,” Erdan says of the fallen Border Police officer. “You came to this land as an immigrant. You became one of its defenders. We will never forget the sacrifice you made.”

Erdan says that “the acts of heroism” displayed by Gavriyah, as well as security guards Youssef Ottman and Or Arish, who were also killed in the attack, “allow those in Har Adar, and all of us in Israel to live in peace and security.”

“Islamic extremists are trying to drive us out of our home through rockets on our borders and through stabbing and shooting attacks in our cities and towns,” he says. “Efforts to reach compromise are important but whenever we have Palestinians who want to kill innocent Israelis and the Palestinian Authority supports them, we will stand strong and we won’t give in. The terrorists will not get anything.”

“Solomon, I promise that we will not give up and give in, for your sake. We will continue to build our national home, we will continue to build our country, because it is our home,” Erdan concludes.

— Raoul Wootliff