Government and media ‘must make it clear’ terrorism is ‘completely unacceptable’

Benjamin Shaw, whose sister and two of his nieces were killed in the West Bank, spoke out during a ministerial visit to his north London home.

From left: Rina, Maia and Lucy Dee (Family handout/PA) (PA Media)

The family of a British-Israeli woman killed with her daughters in the West Bank said the Government and the media must make it clear that terrorism is “completely unacceptable”.

Lucy Dee, 48, died three days after her daughters, Rina, 15, and Maia, 20, were shot dead on April 7.

The family of seven, who moved to Israel from the UK in 2014, were travelling in separate cars en route to a Passover holiday.

Mrs Dee’s widower Leo Dee is a rabbi and they have a son and two other daughters.

On Tuesday, a ministerial visit was made to Mrs Dee’s family at the north London home of her brother Benjamin Shaw.

Hopefully, eventually ... the message will get through to the terrorists that every time you do a terrorist attack it’s not going to get you brownie points, it’s going to be negative points

Benjamin Shaw

The Shaw family is observing the Jewish mourning period of Shiva, having returned home from Israel, where Rabbi Dee remains.

Speaking to minister for the Middle East Lord Ahmad and Baron Polak, Mr Shaw referred to a letter sent to the family from Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who said there is “no justification” for the killings.

Mr Shaw said: “The only way I can think of dealing with it, what the Government has done, is (to say) that any acts of terrorism, wherever they are, are completely unacceptable.

“Hopefully, eventually, if everyone, particularly in the media, say that – the media isn’t always so clear-cut in their reporting – then eventually the message will get through to the terrorists that every time you do a terrorist attack it’s not going to get you brownie points, it’s going to be negative points.”

Lord Ahmad, who is Muslim, told the family his mother raised him to view Judaism as the foundation of the Muslim faith.

“She said that as Muslims we believe that the foundation of our faith is Judaism,” he said.

To an eight-year-old munching on his toast and a glass of milk it was a very colourful but digestible understanding that religion was not about conflict but about learning from each other

Lord Ahmad

“Without the foundation of Judaism there would not be the walls of Christianity, and without the walls of Christianity there would not be the roof of Islam.

“The other doors and windows represent other faiths and beliefs and ultimately how we come together in the house of God.”

He added: “To an eight-year-old munching on his toast and a glass of milk it was a very colourful but digestible understanding that religion was not about conflict but about learning from each other.”

At the end of their meeting, Lord Ahmad and Baron Polak offered their condolences to the family.

Baron Polak said: “Today is Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Memorial Day. In some ways, you have experienced your own holocaust as a family.

“I just hope and pray that in the days to come you will be able to remember the happy days you had as a family.”

Speaking to the PA news agency after meeting Lord Ahmad and Baron Polak, Mr Shaw said he would like to meet Mr Cleverly and thank him for his support.