The family of Dr. Avi Harlev, who is lifeless in the Lahav forest, at first reference to rumors about the circumstances of his death • "The police are called to examine the possibility of a nationalist event"
Dr. Harlev
Photography:
David Avioz, medical photography, Barzilai spokeswoman
A few days after Lt. Col. Dr. Avi Harlev was found lifeless in the Lahav forest and with gunshot wounds, his family posted a first response tonight (Saturday).
Various hypotheses have been raised about Dr. Harlev's death, and the Harlev family said: "We reject the unfounded rumors about the circumstances of my father's death that have been common since his death.
We are convinced from the first moment that my father was murdered. "
The family later said: "My father's future was ahead of him on all levels. He was a very active, vital and optimistic person, a family man loved by many and an outstanding physician in the middle of his professional career.
"Only in recent days has my father acted and participated in planning future plans, both in matters concerning the settlement, and as part of volunteering for the reserve service he intended to continue, as he agreed with the brigade commander a few hours before his death - and as the brigadier general told my father at the military funeral.
"We call on the Israel Police to thoroughly examine all directions of the investigation, including the possibility of a nationalist incident.
"It should be noted that in similar incidents in the past (such as in the murders of the late Rabbi Moshe Talbi and the late Yaron Gispen), the initial impression of the investigators, that it was a suicide, turned out to be incorrect.
"Especially in this case, when my father was on his way from reserve service and wearing an IDF uniform, a comprehensive and exhaustive examination is required.
"We ask and expect from the Israel Police and the security forces, whom we greatly appreciate and cherish, to continue to exhaust the investigation to the end and find the perpetrators."
Dr. Harlev, 50, is married to Shlomit, the sister of the late Col. Dror Weinberg, who was killed in the second intifada in 2002. Shlomit lost another brother, the late Shai Weinberg, who died after a struggle with a serious illness.
Harlev left behind five children, two granddaughters, a couple of parents and a brother.
The body of Lt. Col. Res. Harlev was located after returning from a meeting in his reserve unit wearing a uniform. Following his death, security forces opened an investigation.
Against the background of the family's claims, cases from recent years in which terrorist attacks were first identified as suicides should be noted.
In 2009, the body of Yaron Gispen, a resident of Ali, was found on the outskirts of the settlement.
Next to the body is his personal weapon.
Police defined the case as a suicide case, although no conclusive evidence was found.
After nine years it became clear that this was a mistake and that Gispen had been murdered on nationalist grounds.
A year later, the body of peace activist Neta Blat-Sorek was found, after she had been missing for two days from the guest house where she was staying at Beit Jamal Monastery near Beit Shemesh.
Her body was found with a rope around her neck.
The police ruled that it was a suicide, but two and a half months later it became clear that Blat-Sorek had been murdered by two Arabs who passed by her and identified her as Jewish.
In 2011, Rabbi Moshe Talbi was shot on the side of the access road to the locality of Revava with his personal weapon next to him.
In this case, too, the police determined that it was a suicide, despite the evidence found on the ground.
As in the case of Harlev, who informed his wife that he was on his way home, Rabbi Talbi spoke a few minutes before his death with a member of his family and arranged a meeting with him later that day.
Only after three years was Rabbi Talbi recognized as a victim of terrorism.
In September 2019, Netanel Arami performed abseiling work at a construction site in Petah Tikva.
Towards the end of the work he asked one of his employees to collect the tools.
After the employee noticed that Arami was procrastinating - he went out to look for him and found his mutilated body at the foot of the building.
Despite the clean cuts in both of Nathaniel's cables, police classified the incident as a work accident.
Only two months later the killers were apprehended and Arami was recognized as a victim of hostilities.
In January 2019, Hadas Tapuhi's car suddenly deviated from the travel lane when it was on its way home.
The car collided head-on with a truck traveling in front of it.
The incident was classified as a car accident, although evidence on the ground indicated that stone-throwing had been recorded near the road near the incident.
