The Arab-Israeli leftist organization "Standing Together" has issued a formal apology to Rabbi Shmuel Wendy, director of the Chomesh Yeshiva, after falsely accusing him of shooting and killing a 13-year-old Palestinian boy.
Anatomy of a False Claim
The incident began following a confrontation in the village of al-Mughayir. Contrary to the narrative spread by the organization, the reality of the event was far different. According to reports from Arutz Sheva and JBN:
- The Incident: Masked terrorists attacked a vehicle with stones. A reservist inside the car opened fire to defend against the life-threatening assault.
- The Casualty: A 13-year-old boy among the stone-throwers was killed in the exchange. It was later noted that the boy’s father had previously been killed while carrying out an attack against IDF troops.
- The Alibi: Rabbi Shmuel Wendy was not present in the area when the shooting occurred.
"They Got the Wrong Man"
Despite Wendy’s absence, Standing Together circulated his photo and name, accusing him of "raiding" the village. The false claim was quickly amplified by Arab media outlets, leading to what JBN described as a "torrent of threats and hateful comments" against the rabbi.
As the truth emerged, Standing Together was forced to delete the posts and issue a statement:
"A photo of the shooter was circulated on social media, with the claim that it was Shmuel Wendy... As a result, we repeated this claim here," the group stated. "We immediately deleted what we had written and apologize to Shmuel Wendy for the mistaken identification, which was made in good faith."
Legal Consequences Looming
The apology may have come too late to prevent a legal battle. JBN reports that Wendy is not satisfied with the "lukewarm" apology and intends to hold the group financially accountable.
"Anyone with a conscience is horrified," the group had initially written before being forced to admit that "not a single detail of this story is true."
