Devastated mourners attend the funeral of murdered British-Israeli sisters
Rabbi Leo Dee, the father of Rina, 15, and Maia, 20, says he does not know what he will tell his critically injured wife what has happened to 'our two precious kids' when she 'wakes up'
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Murdered British-Israeli sisters Maia and Rina Dee have been buried at the cemetery in the West Bank settlement of Kfar Ezion in front a large crowd of distraught mourners.
In a tearful eulogy, the girl’s father Rabbi Leo Dee compared Maia to the Matriarch Sara of the Bible, saying both arrived and then returned again to the Promised Land.
Rabbi Dee, who left his home in Radlett in 2014 with his family, said that like Sara, who was buried in the Cave of Patriarchs alongside her husband Abraham, Maia will also be buried alongside her sister Rina.
He added Rina had dreamed of “traveling the world” but was “now traveling to heaven.”
As many who had gathered for the funeral on Sunday were moved to tears, the rabbi also said of his wife, who remains in critical condition in hospital following Friday’s attack, “How will I explain to Lucy what has happened to our two precious kids when she wakes up?”
The girls bodies were brought out, one covered in black cloth, one in blue – a Star of David embroidered on each, in gold and silver.
The funeral procession had departed from the settlement of Efrat where the sisters resided and mourners were marching toward the cemetery.
Rina, 15, and Maia, 20, who were both born in London, had set out for a holiday trip with their parents travelling in separate cars, when their car came under fire.
Their mother 48, has life-threatening injuries and remains hospitalised in critical condition at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center.
Many at the funeral were teenagers rom the school Rina went to.
Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, was among the mourners.
The IDF confirmed the drive-by shooting as a terror attack and have set up roadblocks in the area and launched an investigation into claims the terrorists had headed toward Jerricho.
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