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Ian Feinberg

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Ian Feinberg (1963–1993) was an Israeli lawyer who was also the legal counsel for Office of Co-operation for Development in Gaza, a European-funded aid project which provided loans to Gazan businessmen. At age 30 he was murdered by terrorists who burst into the room while he participating in a business meeting to discuss economic development in their Gaza offices.[1]

Early life and education

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Ian Sean Feinberg was born in South Africa in 1963 to parents Estelle and Cyril. He was the brother of Aidy and Gila. His mother passed away when he was nine years ago and after his father married Gillian two additional siblings, Adam and Erella, were born.

After completing high school in South Africa, Ian made aliyah to Israel. He participated in a preparatory program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and then attended the Law School of Bar Ilan University, which he completed with outstanding grades. Upon completion of his studies he served as a officer in the IDFs military prosecutor's office in Gaza for five years.

After his release from the army he opened a law office in Tel Aviv and among other things provided legal representation to commercial interests in Gaza where he also served as the legal counsel for the Gaza offices of Co-operation for Development, a European-funded aid project which makes loans to businessmen.

He was married to Ofra and had three children, Nir Tal, Guy and Dana. He was a devoted family man and also volunteered extensively in his community, as a volunteer police officer in the youth division as well as providing pro-bono advice to new immigrants. During his free time he participated in sports. He had a black belt in Karate and a brown belt in Judo.

Murder

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On Sunday afternoon on April 18, 1993 he participated in a business meeting at the Gaza offices of Co-operation for Development. Two killers, armed with a Kalashnikov assault rifle, knives and a hatchet, burst into the meeting at about 4.30pm, claiming that they had come to "murder the Jew." Local employees and others who were present pleaded with the gunmen not to attack him, but they stabbed Feinberg in the throat many times and hacked his head with a hatchet.[1][2][3][4]

The killers were part of the Red Eagles, the armed wing affiliated with George Habash’s Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

His murder sent shock waves throughout Gaza and Israel.[1] Issam Shawa, Palestinian head of a US aid agency in Gaza, said the murder was particularly shocking because the victim was 'clearly trying to help Gazans and their economy'. It broke an unwritten rule that non-partisan Israelis, such as lawyers and journalists, enjoy immunity from terrorist attacks.[4] The Davar newspaper said that with Feinberg's murder a dream was also murdered. Ian believed that you had to help people, no matter who they were, what their religion, background or political views. [2][1]

Murderers

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  • Rafat Ali Muhammad Aruqi knew Feinberg personally. He was arrested in May 1993 and given a life sentence for his role in Feinberg's murder. He was released in 2011 as part of the prisoner exchange that freed IDF soldier Gilad Shalit who was held by Hamas in Gaza for five years. [5]
  • Omar Issa Masoud was working as a guard at the European Union building where Feinberg was volunteering. He was the main murderer and wielded the hatchet. He was arrested shortly after the murder and sentenced to 90 years in prison. He was released in 2013 in a prisoner exchange connected to a four-stage prisoner release deal.[6] [7][8]
  • Yusef Abed al-Al was imprisoned in 1994 as an accessory to Ian's murder for providing information to the murderers and for carrying out several grenade attacks and murdering Sami Ramadan. He was sentenced to 22 years imprisonment. He was one of twenty six prisoners released in August 2013 as part of a confidence-building measure aimed at bolstering renewed Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations.[9][10][11]

Burial

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He is buried in the Kiryat Shaul cemetery in Tel Aviv[12][1] in a special section for terrorist victims.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Helm, Sara. "Palestinian shock over murder of Israeli liberal: Young lawyer hacked to death while helping Gazans to set up aid projects". Independent.
  2. ^ a b Greenberg, Joel. "Israeli Stabbed to Death in Gaza; Curbs on Palestinians Maintained". New York Times.
  3. ^ Abu Ramadan, Saud (1993). "Palestinians stab Israeli lawyer in Gaza". UPI.com.
  4. ^ a b staff. "Murder of Israeli Lawyer in Gaza Shakes Jews and Palestinians Alike". Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
  5. ^ Rome, Henry. "Bereaved family relives horror as terror victim's killers set free". The Jerusalem Post.
  6. ^ TOI Staff. "Israel names 26 Palestinian prisoners to be freed in 48 hours". Times of Israel.
  7. ^ Harris, Emily. "What Israel's Release of Palestinian-Prisoners Means for Peace". NPR.
  8. ^ Booth, William (August 2013). "As part of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, more prisoners who killed Israelis to be freed". The Washington Post.
  9. ^ Harris, Ben. "Who Israel released". Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
  10. ^ Staff. "Israel-Palestinian Peace Process: Israel Releases Palestinian Prisoners in "Confidence-Building" Measure". Jewish Virtual Library.
  11. ^ Staff. "Profiles of Palestinian prisoners set to be released". BBC.
  12. ^ Staff. "Ian Sean Feinberg".
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