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American-born Rabbi Slain in West Bank
Dafna Linzer (AP)
JERUSALEM (AP) - An American-born rabbi was found shot to death in a cave in the West Bank and U.S. Jewish leaders called on President Bill Clinton to hold the Palestinian leader responsible for the murder. Israeli soldiers on Sunday found the body of Rabbi Hillel Lieberman, a Jewish settler missing since Saturday, in a cave near a West Bank highway. "He was shot by Palestinians," said police spokesman Rafi Yafe. Yafe said the family was notified at the onset of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Because of strict observances, the family, residents of the Elon Moreh settlement in the northern West Bank, were not available to comment. The 37-year-old rabbi was the father of six and had immigrated to Israel 14 years ago, according to a statement issued in New York by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. The statement was signed by Ronald Lauder, chairman of the organization and Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman. Hoenlein told the Philadelphia Inquirer that Lieberman was a distant cousin of Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Sen. Joseph Lieberman (news - web sites) of Connecticut. But the senator's spokeswoman Kelly Moore issued a statement saying the senator was not aware of any relationship. "The senator is very saddened by the loss of life and violence that has erupted in the Middle East. But has far as he is aware, he is not related to the man who was killed." The U.S. Jewish conference said Lieberman had left home on foot Saturday and was headed for Joseph's Tomb, ransacked earlier by Palestinians who destroyed sacred Jewish texts at the site after driving away Israeli troops. The statement said Lieberman had hoped to save some of the Torah scrolls housed in the tomb which many Jews believe to be the burial site of the biblical figure Joseph, son of Jacob. Lieberman was apparently killed on his way there. "We call on President Clinton (news - web sites) to hold Chairman Arafat personally responsible for the brutal death of Rabbi Hillel Lieberman," the statement said. The statement noted that a number of U.S. citizens have been attacked during 11 days of deadly violence between Israel and the Palestinians that have left 84 dead, mostly Palestinians. Lieberman is the son of Rabbi Zebulun Lieberman, described in the statement as a prominent spiritual leader in Brooklyn, New York.
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