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The family of murdered Esther Horgan huddles as her funeral begins at the Tal Menashe settlement (Photo: Elish Ben Kimon) Published by YNET News
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Esther Horgan, murdered in suspected West Bank attack, laid to rest
As husband and 6 children weep openly, the local rabbi laments the loss of his friend who never failed to smile; local and national politicians vowed to expand settlements in response to murder, seen as an act of terror

by Elisha Ben Kimon for YNET News
Published: 12.22.20, 15:19

Esther Horgan, found dead in a West Bank forest in a suspected terror attack, was put to rest on Tuesday in her home settlement of Tal Menashe.

Esther Horgan, 52, left her home in the northern West Bank settlement of Tal Menashe on Sunday afternoon for a jog in the nearby Shaked Forest. Her body was found early Monday with clear signs of a violent attack which police and the Shin Bet security agency suspect was an act of terror. The investigation is ongoing.

The funeral began with a service outside the Horgan family home as neighbors joined to embrace the grieving family. Husband, Benjamin Horgan, and the couple's six children wept openly as dozens of friends and visitors including some politicians, looked on.

The community's rabbi Reuven Uziel officiated the funeral ceremony.
"We all had a dinner together on Shabbat," he said. "I could never, not for a minute, think that would be our last time together. You were a loving person, full of happiness and smiles. Your murderers would never succeed in polluting the Land of Israel that will remain pure and holy, as will you," Rabbi Uziel said.
"We know your joy will stay with us. I know you are present here now. I am sure if you could, you would crack some joke. I can see your smile. Go in peace. Rest in peace, " he said.

Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council also eulogized Esther. "The murderers chose death, but we here choose life. Those barbarians brought darkness, but we will bring the light. They want to scare us away from our land but we will not be cowards. We will walk freely everywhere. They will not compromise our hold on our land. We will strengthen it here in northern Samaria," he said.

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Palestinian suspect says he murdered Esther Horgan to avenge prisoner's death

By Lilach Shoval and Ariel Kahana for israelhayom
Published on 01-04-2021 15:38 Last modified: 01-07-2021 10:05

The Shin Bet security agency on Monday lifted its gag order on the name of the Palestinian suspect arrested in the murder of Esther Horgan in Tal Menashe in December, identifying him as Muhammad Marwah Kabha, 40, of the village Tura al-Gharbiya near Jenin.

Kabha has served a number of prison sentences in Israel for terrorist activity.

Four other suspects were arrested on suspicion of helping hide him as he tried to evade arrest after the murder.

When interrogated by officers from the Shin Bet and the Judea Samaria District Police, Kabha told them he had ethno-religious reasons for killing Horgan.

Kabha said that approximately six weeks before the murder, the death of another security prisoner, Kamal Abu Waer, in prison due to illness had prompted him to carry out a terrorist attack.

However, Prison Services Spokesman Yitzhak Gurlov confirmed that Abu Awar died in Shamir Medical Center in centreal Israel and not in prison, as claimed by Kabha.

Kabha said he used a hole in the security fence to scout the area. After realizing that there was little foot traffic at the scene and that it was mostly visited by Israeli civilians, he decided it would be an appropriate place to perpetrate his planned attack.

On the afternoon of Dec. 20, 2020, Kabha was in the wooded area near Tal Menashe, smuggling cigarettes through the fence. He approached a grove and waited there. A few hours later, he spotted Horgan, walking alone. He attacked and killed her.

In the days following the murder, Kabha received assistance from friends and relatives who helped him hide from Israeli security forces.

Kabha is still being interrogated, and is slated to stand trial in the IDF's Samaria Military Court.
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Home of terrorist who murdered Esther Horgan demolished

By Lilach Shoval and Yair Altman for IsraelHayon
Published on 02-10-2021 16:18 Last modified: 02-10-2021 16:18

Two floors of a home in the Palestinian village Tura Al-Gharbiya that served as living quarters for Muhammad Marwah Kabha, who confessed to the brutal murder of Esther Horgan near Tal Menashe in late December, were demolished Wednesday morning by IDF forces.

Last week, the Chief Military Prosecutor submitted an indictment against Kabha in the Judea Samaria Military Court. The indictment accused Kabha of intentionally causing Horgan's death (a count equivalent to murder), involvement in a shooting, and other crimes.

After he was apprehended by security forces following a lengthy manhunt, Kabha told interrogators that he had ethno-religious reasons for killing Horgan.

Kabha said that approximately six weeks before the murder, the death of another security prisoner, Kamal Abu Waer, in prison due to illness had prompted him to carry out a terrorist attack.

However, Prison Services Spokesman Yitzhak Gurlov confirmed that Abu Awar died in Shamir Medical Center in centreal Israel and not in prison, as claimed by Kabha.

Kabha said he used a hole in the security fence to scout the area. After realizing that there was little foot traffic at the scene and that it was mostly visited by Israeli civilians, he decided it would be an appropriate place to perpetrate his planned attack.

On the afternoon of Dec. 20, 2020, Kabha was in the wooded area near Tal Menashe, smuggling cigarettes through the fence. He approached a grove and waited there. A few hours later, he spotted Horgan, walking alone. He attacked and killed her.

In the days following the murder, Kabha received assistance from friends and relatives who helped him hide from Israeli security forces.