IDF to raze home of terrorist in Shmerling murder
Less than two weeks after it was determined that Reuven Shmerling was murdered in a building he owned in the Kafr Kasim industrial zone by a Palestinian terrorist, the Defense Ministry on Wednesday announced it will demolish the killer’s home.
On October 4, hours before Sukkot, Shmerling’s badly beaten body with multiple stab wounds was found by his son hidden in a storage unit in the Arab-Israeli city, located 20 km. east of Tel Aviv.
Shmerling, a married father of four from Elkana, ran a coal business. He was killed on his 70th birthday.
Although police initially said the crime was being investigated as a criminal matter involving a disgruntled employee over a monetary dispute, the attack was later determined by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) to be nationalistically motivated.
While details of the investigation remain unclear due to an ongoing court-imposed gag order, the Shin Bet questioned two unidentified Palestinian suspects from the West Bank village of Kabatiya four days following the murder.
Shortly after the interrogations, senior deputy to the defense attorney, Yedidya Oron, announced the murder was determined to be a terrorist attack.
The killer’s family was notified Wednesday to evacuate his home in the coming days, or file a petition contesting the demolition.