Israeli Prime Minister Recognizes Soldiers Who Foiled Unrest After Market Shooting

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu hosted a ceremony at the army's general headquarters in Tel Aviv to commend two soldiers, Avi Buskila and Kfir Sivan, for their actions in foiling a tense situation after a 19-year-old off-duty soldier, Noam Friedman, opened fire on a Palestinian market, wounding six people. Netanyahu praised the soldiers for their bravery and credited them with potentially preventing a disaster that could have harmed Israel's peace process with the Palestinians. Friedman, a Jewish extremist, had intended to disrupt the upcoming Israeli-Palestinian agreement on troop withdrawal from Hebron.

Key Takeaways:

• Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu recognized and commended two soldiers, Avi Buskila and Kfir Sivan, for their bravery in foiling a potentially disastrous situation.
• The incident occurred when a 19-year-old off-duty soldier, Noam Friedman, opened fire on a Palestinian market in Tel Aviv, wounding six people.
• Friedman, identified as a Jewish extremist, aimed to scuttle the impending Israeli-Palestinian agreement on Israeli troop withdrawal from Hebron.
• Netanyahu stated that Friedman's actions would have caused significant damage to Israel's peace process had he been successful.
• Friedman was arrested and held in custody for 10 days, along with his friend Yuval Gibli, who is suspected of being an accomplice.
• The incident has highlighted concerns regarding Jewish extremism in Israel and its potential impact on the country's relations with the Palestinians.

Statistics:

• 6 people were wounded after Noam Friedman opened fire on the Palestinian market.
• 10 days was the length of Friedman's initial custody, ordered by a judge.
• 1 M-16 rifle was used by Friedman during the incident.
• 1 second was the time it took for 2nd Lt. Avi Buskila to knock Friedman to the ground after he started firing.
• Netanyahus praised the actions of Buskila and Kfir Sivan for their bravery.

Sources:

• United Press International - Copyright 1997 by United Press International. All rights reserved.