Eilat Shooter Came to Israel with "Masa Israel" Program
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Date Posted: 2012-10-05 17:24:53
The young man who was shot and killed in Eilat Friday after he murdered another man came to Israel on the
The shooter,William Hershkovitz
Masa Israel program. Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky announced that he has appointed a committee to look into the process by which the killer was accepted to the program.
UPDATE: The gunman was identified as William Hershkovitz, 24, a Jewish man from New York City. Hershkovich, who is described as having been "active in the Jewish community," arrived in Israel on August 27th with the intention of spending 5 months in the country. He was recently fired "in an amicable manner" by the hotel and may have been scheduled to return to the US on Tuesday, October 9.
The committee will presumably check if there were any warning signs regarding the man's character or mental health that were ignored, and whether screening of candidates needs to be improved.
Armando Oved was murdered at the scene.
Sharansky expressed deep regret for the loss of life and said that the event was an anomalous one. Hershkovitz was an American Jew. He was in Eilat as a participant in the Oranim program, one of about 200 supported by Masa Israel, which is a joint project of the Israeli government and the Jewish Agency.
Every year, the Masa Israel project brings about 10,000 young Jews from around the world to study and volunteer. The project aims to strengthen ties between Israel and the Jewish world. Upon their return to their countries, many participants assume key positions in their communities and advocate for Israel. In recent years, many Masa Israel participants have made aliyah.
