One of the Israelis who were murdered in Saturday’s terrorist attack in Istanbul, Turkey, has been identified as 60-year-old Simcha Damari, a mother of four from the city of Dimona in southern Israel.
Two other Israelis were murdered in the attack, but their names have not yet been cleared for publication. 10 Israelis were wounded in the blast, and Magen David Adom paramedics and doctors are working to bring them home.
Dimona Mayor Benny Biton published a special statement on Saturday night after learning about the death of Damari, whose husband Avi was among those wounded.
“Dimona is in pain and shares the grief of Damari family following the death of their mother Simcha, who was killed today in Turkey by a vile person whose goal was to kill as many Jews as possible,” wrote the mayor.
“The Damari is a family that is rooted in Dimona, is well-known for helping the needy and for donating to charities in secret. The city of Dimona under my leadership will do everything in its power to assist the family in these difficult and painful moments,” added Biton.
Meanwhile, Walla! News reported on Saturday night that two of Damari’s sons had flown to Istanbul to identify their mother’s body.
“Dad retired after working his entire life and wanted to spend time with Mom. They traveled a lot around the world,” the sons, whose parents were on a culinary tour in Turkey at the time of the attack, said.
“Mom was a preschool teacher in Dimona and always looked after the children. She always looked out for everyone – fed the needy, helped single parents. She did these things all the time,” they added.