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St.-Sgt. Rujayah Salameh
February 5, 2001 - St.-Sgt. Rujayah Salameh, 23, of the Lower Galilee Arab village of Tur'an, was killed by Palestinian sniper fire as he rode in an armored personnel carrier near Rafah, in the Gaza Strip.
Salameh, a member of the auxiliary Desert Patrol Battalion, was shot in the head while safeguarding engineering activities for the IDF along the border fence with Egypt. Salameh, who had shortly before cast his ballot in the elections for prime minister, was standing in the APC's upper turret. He was struck by a bullet from a sniper in one of the buildings overlooking the route used by the soldiers. Palestinians had previously fired at IDF positions near Rafah.
Scores flocked to Salameh's family home last night to express their condolences. Salameh's grandfather told reporters that he had opposed his grandson's joining the army. "Two years ago he chose to join the army, [but] I did not want him to. But when I saw how determined he was I wished him to return safely like all the other boys who join the army, especially the volunteers," he said.
Fellow soldier Georgie Salim said he and Salameh were among only six Christian Arabs in the southern Beduin unit. Salim told reporters he and Salameh underwent training and front-line duty together. "We were very close as we were few in a minorities' unit," Salim said. "I never thought something would happen to one of us."
The village of Tur'an has about 10,000 residents, 20 percent of whom are Christian. Salameh's funeral was held in the Catholic church in Tur'an.
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