"My father is being murdered again": Son’s anguish over terrorist’s release 

Micah Avni, the son of the late Richard Lakin, who was brutally murdered in a terrorist attack on a Jerusalem bus, has spoken out against the expected release of his father’s killer. The terrorist is among 600 prisoners whose release has been delayed by government order, following Hamas’s repeated humiliation tactics during hostage exchanges over the past month.

"My father was murdered in the attack because he was Jewish, because he was Israeli," Avni said. "Now, his murderer is on the list of 600 terrorists whose release is pending.

Richard Lakin, an American grandfather of eight and former school principal was critically injured in a Jerusalem bus attack in October 2015 and died of his wounds.

"My father left behind a comfortable life in the United States to immigrate to Israel - not because he needed to, but because he was Jewish. And in Israel, he was murdered for the very same reason. His killer was set to walk free, to celebrate, to resume life - perhaps even to plan the next attack," stated Avni.

Avni described his anguish upon seeing the terrorist’s name among those slated for release. "It’s not just an injustice - it feels as if my father is being murdered all over again. As if the pain we, the bereaved families, carry is being erased. As if his memory is being abandoned."

He concluded with a pointed question: "I ask myself, and I ask all of you - what kind of country do we want to be? A country that protects its citizens, or a country that releases the murderers of its sons?"