All in the Family
Family-wise, Federman is:
• the son of Lechi fighter David Federman
• brother of Eli Federman, who, as a security guard in Tel Aviv in May 2002, shot and killed an approaching suicide terrorist before anyone could be hurt.
• husband of Elisheva, who was convicted two years ago of child neglect for bringing her child to a lengthy and rainy demonstration against the police destruction of the house of the widow of terrorist-victim Nati Ozeri.
• father of eight children, including:
** Yiskah, 17, who has been arrested more than once for demonstrating in favor of the Land of Israel; she refused to cooperate with what she called the "non-Torah legal system" and was kept in prison for many weeks,
** and a son, 12, whose finger was bent back by policemen at a protest over a year ago - for which incident a court ordered the police to pay him 1,500 shekels.
Only one problem. Eli Federman thinks his brother is a yutz.
"I'm proud of both of my children," said Rina Federman, a right-wing activist who has participated in Women in Green demonstrations. "Noam is actually a great patriot, who does everything to save Israel. Eli chose to live many years abroad. Eli is a hero, but I am not ashamed of Noam."The two Federman brothers have been estranged since childhood, when they were raised in Jerusalem's Talpiot neighborhood. Their father was a hard-line nationalist, a member of the Etzel underground group. He was arrested by the British and deported to Ethiopia, where he shared a cell with Yitzhak Shamir, then a member of the Stern Gang and decades later Israel's prime minister.
When questioned, Eli refused to disclose the source of the conflict with his brother. "It's not about politics; it's personal, only because of individual privacy and family honor I will not go into detail. My relationship with Yasser Arafat is like my relationship with my brother Noam. To say that we don't see eye to eye is an understatement."
But speaking with Channel One television, Eli was much harsher. "I am one of his greatest enemies; for me he is not a brother. We haven't spoken in 28 years. He does not interest me; he didn't serve in the army, and not even in the civil defense. I know some unpleasant, non-political, things about him."
Rina was unable to pinpoint why and when the bad blood began to flow between the brothers. "I think Eli is carrying around a feeling of rejection, after all these years," she said, pointing out that when their father died, Eli remained abroad, and only Noam was at her side to support her through the difficult loss.
"Eli doesn't want to be connected with his brother Noam," a Kach activist told Yediot Aharonot. "They haven't had a relationship in years so it's understandable that he would want no part in events involving the Police, the Shin Bet and the media."
And all this from one simple Google search. Nice journalism, there, A7.
No comments:
Post a Comment