An 84-year-old citrus farmer from Ra’anana, north of Tel Aviv, was murdered Tuesday in his grove on the outskirts of nearby Moshav Batzra.
Avraham Kinsler was found with his throat cut and numerous stab wounds in his chest. He was buried Wednesday in the Ra’anana cemetery.
Police said the killing had all the hallmarks of an intifada-inspired murder by Palestinian nationalists. But they have not entirely ruled out the possibility of a “private criminal murder.”
Police investigations disclosed that Kinsler, whose wife had died three years ago and who lived alone since then, had gone out as usual early in the morning, dressed in shorts and rubber boots, to irrigate his groves.
He employed no workers at this time of the year, taking on laborers only for citrus picking.
Kinsler, the father of three married daughters, had boasted to his friends that “it’s hard work in the grove which is keeping me alive.”
Police were summoned by Batzra residents when they noticed Kinsler’s car standing on the outskirts of his grove toward evening, later than he usually stayed among his orange and grapefruit trees.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
