Mordechai Odesser

July 30, 2002 - Mordechai Odesser, 52, and his brother Shlomo, 60, both of Tapuach in Samaria, were shot and killed when their truck came under fire in the West Bank village of Jama'in, near Ariel, apparently while selling diesel oil to a cement factory in the village.

The Odesser brothers, who routinely sold diesel fuel to residents of Palestinian villages in the area, were ambushed and shot at close range after reaching the cement factory at the entrance to the village of Jama'in, about two kilometers north of Ariel.

They drove into the yard, parked, and sat down for coffee with some of the men in the factory. Two masked men carrying Kalashnikov rifles approached the brothers and shot one at close range. The other ran toward their truck, apparently to get the gun from inside the driver's cab, but was shot dead.

Mordechai Odesser lived in Tapuach for 18 years. He was a chef by profession and worked in many of the settlements in the area. Two years ago, he suffered a heart attack, and since then he has spent much of his time resting. From time to time, he would accompany his brother when Shlomo went out with his diesel truck. They were usually accompanied by an Arab acquaintance when they went to Palestinian villages. According to a neighbor, Mordechai's wife had begged them not to go there. "He w

Mordechai Odesser and his brother were buried in the Yarkon cemetery in Tel-Aviv. He is survived by his wife and six children, as well as a sister and an elderly mother.