“Acting on Instinct and Saving Lives”: Selaith Security Coordinator Receives Citation from Yossi Dagan

Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan awarded a civilian citation to the security coordinator of the settlement of Selaith, Roi Damati, who neutralized and drove off the terrorist earlier this week at the end of the combined shooting attack in Kokhav Yair, Tzur Natan, Tzur Yitzhak and Selaith in Samaria. As noted, the security coordinator of Selaith shot the terrorist after he murdered reserve soldier Chaim Klumiti, of blessed memory, in a shooting attack and wounded five other people in the combined killing spree in the Sharon region. The terrorist reached the gate of the settlement of Selaith in Samaria, fired at security coordinator Roi Damati, who was guarding the settlement gate. Damati reacted immediately, shot at the terrorist and prevented a severe disaster.

The civilian citation was presented at a special ceremony in the office of the Samaria Regional Council chairman, with the participation of Col. P., commander of the Ephraim Brigade, Lt. Col. (res.) M., the home front defense officer of the Ephraim Brigade, Selaith settlement chairman Eliran Emmanuel, settlement security committee chairman Amit Yakubovitz, Samaria Regional Council security chief Yonatan Shmihi, and the council’s regional security officer Hagi Yehoshua, in recognition of Damati’s bravery and actions, which prevented the terrorist from continuing his murder spree, which claimed the life of an Israeli civilian and left four injured.

Dagan thanked the security coordinator for his quick thinking and said, “We have all gathered here to salute you, thank you and express our appreciation, בשם all the residents of the Samaria settlements, בשם the entire people of Israel. As a security coordinator, you risked your life, stood exposed under fire and prevented much greater bloodshed than might have been. The act you carried out, while truly risking your life, is an example and a model, and therefore I am honored to present you with a civilian citation בשם Samaria and בשם all the people of Israel. Thanks to people like you, thanks to the IDF, thanks to the emergency response teams, together we will win.”

Roi Damati, the security coordinator of Selaith and father of three, described the tense moments in which he encountered the terrorist who shot at him: “The regional security chief of the Samaria Regional Council, Hagi Yehoshua, called me a few minutes before the terrorist arrived and warned me that there were terrorists in the neighboring settlement. While I was checking the matter, during the call with him, the terrorist suddenly appeared in front of me. I shouted to the security chief, ‘They are shooting at me!’ The terrorist missed me by just a few centimeters, I jumped out and fired at him.” He added, “The terrorist came face to face with me. Fortunately, he missed the first shot.”

The Selaith security coordinator said the role of the security coordinator is challenging and complex, and said, “The role of the security coordinator involves many aspects, and the security coordinators have been on the front line for a long time, especially after October 7, and it is important to strengthen and support them.” Damati concluded, “I am glad I was there and that the outcome was like this, and we will do what we can so that we all continue to win.”

Lt. Col. (res.) M., the home front defense officer of the Ephraim Brigade, thanked Damati for his determined action. Settlement chairman Eliran Emmanuel thanked the settlement’s security coordinator, hugged him through tears and said, “You prevented a much worse attack. If the terrorist had gotten in, I don’t know what would have happened.” Samaria Regional Council security chief Yonatan Shmihi said, “We see how important the settlement’s security system is, the security coordinators, the emergency response team, the guards at the entrances to the settlements, and how much they need to be strengthened. Everything is built in layers. There is the army and all the emergency bodies, but in the end the inner layer, the settlement layer, is critical and the last line. Therefore, I salute the security coordinator’s bravery and strengthen the settlement’s defense systems.”