Father of Murdered Yehuda Sherman Rebukes Nahum Barnea for Inaccuracies in Op-Ed

Yehoshua Sherman, father of Yehuda Shmuel Sherman, who was murdered, issued a sharp rebuttal to Nahum Barnea's column in Yedioth Ahronoth, which addressed the circumstances of his son's killing. Yehoshua Sherman accused Barnea of failing to investigate the facts and simply writing unfounded claims. He emphasized that the circumstances of the murder were never disputed by those involved, contradicting Barnea's suggestion that they were "controversial." Sherman cited eyewitness testimony from his son Daniel, who was present at the scene and heard the assailant admit to deliberately attacking them and express satisfaction over Yehuda's death.

Sherman also criticized Barnea's use of the term "hilltop youth" to describe his son, calling it derogatory and affirming the value of these youths who live and work in challenging settlements. He defended Yehuda’s actions on the Sabbath, explaining that they were part of security missions authorized by rabbis. Regarding the Shuva Israel outpost, Sherman clarified that it is an authorized farm within the jurisdiction of the renewed settlement of Homesh, accusing Barnea of publishing falsehoods without consulting the family.

Sherman further disputed Barnea’s description of the attack vehicle as a "Palestinian car" and the suggestion that the collision with the quad bike was accidental. He stated that security forces, including the IDF and Shin Bet, confirmed the attack was intentional, as detailed in the indictment. Finally, Sherman acknowledged that public pressure from the family helped have the incident officially recognized as a terror attack and called for the assailant’s home to be demolished. He concluded with a personal message to Barnea, lamenting the missed opportunity for dialogue and affirming the family's commitment to continue building and thriving in Judea and Samaria, including in Area A and B territories.