Ya'akov (Kobi) Hatzav

Sept 9, 2001 - Ya'akov Hatzav, 42, of Hamra in the Jordan Valley was killed in a shooting attack 300 meters south of the Adam Junction in the Jordan Valley.

Until recently, Kobi had worked as a tour guide. The drop in tourism caused by the wave of violence and terrorism of the past year forced him to look for other sources of income. Just three weeks ago, he had purchased a van so that he could earn a living as a driver.

On Sunday morning he was driving teachers to the Gefanim regional school in the Jordan Valley. A car overtook the van, spraying it with bullets. Both Hatzav and Sima Franko, a kindergarten teacher, were killed instantly; three other teachers were injured in the attack.

Kobi's wife Aya said, "He bought his van less than a month ago. He was afraid of being hit in a shooting, since his vehicle was not bulletproof, especially when driving on the road connecting the Shomron and the Jordan Valley. In the end, he met his death elsewhere."

Kobi Hatzav grew up in Kibbutz Alonim. He met Aya while attending a preparatory course at the Technion in Haifa. They married, and moved to Hamra in the Jordan Valley five years ago. Aya had grown up in Hamra, and said, "It took me five years to convince Kobi to move here." There they had two sons - Shahar, aged three, and Elad, 11 months.

Ya'akov Hatzav was buried in Kibbutz Alonim. Besides his wife Aya and two small sons, he leaves behind parents, three sisters and a brother.