the ami ortiz “uvdah interview” on channel 2 (israel)...

THE AMI ORTIZ “UVDAH INTERVIEW” ON CHANNEL 2 (ISRAEL) March 2, 2009

Ilana Dayan, TV anchorwoman for Channel 2’s “Uvda” program in Israel

states, “Ami Ortiz is probably the Israeli who has been injured the worst by Jewish terror.” On March 20th

2008, one 15-year-old Israeli boy’s life was changed forever. As a member of

an Israeli Messianic Jewish family who fo l lows Yeshua Mess iah , opposition does come from Jewish

religious extremists who think they are doing G-d a service by attacking His

true followers (John 16:1-4). Prior to this terrorist attack orchestrated by Orthodox Jewish extremists, there

were “missionary” warning posters put up about the family in their Ariel

neighborhood. On Purim of last year, Ami opened up a “bomb gift” which the terrorists assembled and nicely

placed at the Ortiz family’s door step.Ami unwrapped the candy-filled

Purim basket and instead of a sweet Jewish holiday surprise, it exploded in his face and damaged his body. By a

miracle of God, despite the scars and wounds, Ami Ortiz perseveres while

the terrorists are still on the loose. The following is a transcript from the Uvda TV interview translated into English.

AN ALL-STAR TRUE STORY

AMI ORTIZ PLAYS #11AND IS BACK IN THE GAME


WHO’S ON THE COURT?(...in the TV segment)

Ilana LevyAnchorwoman

Ben SheniReporter

Ami OrtizBasketball Player

Leah OrtizAmi’s Mother

David OrtizAmi’s Father

Asher MedinaAnti-Missionary

Gil GoldfeatherSecurity Technician

Yossi GraiverThe Ortiz’s Attorney

Man in IDF UniformUnknown Terrorist


ILANA DAYAN, ANCHORWOMANAmi Ortiz is probably the Israeli who has been

injured the worst by Jewish terror. But first of all, we go to what happened on Purim, exactly a year ago. Ami Ortiz was 15-years-old, he opened a Purim gift package that arrived that morning at his parent’s house in Ariel. That gift package exploded in Ami’s face and he was critically injured. Ami Ortiz is probably the Israeli who has been injured the worst by Jewish terror. His parents are leading a Messianic Jewish community in Ariel, Jews that believe in Jesus. Whoever wanted to hurt his parents, to this day, neither the police nor the GSS (General Security Services) can say who did it. Today we bring new details that were forbidden to broadcast, and the court has recently allowed us to broadcast. The person who put the bomb was seen in the security cameras that surrounded the family’s house in Ariel. He’s seen on the tape dressed in an IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) uniform. Ben Shani, went a few months ago to try to understand what happened there. Where does this dreadful hatred that almost led to murder come from and how a young boy who wanted to be a basketball star, almost lost his life, but insisted on going back and playing again.

TITLE: BLI ELOHIM (GODLESS)

ISRAELI WOMAN AT BASKETBALL GAMEEveryone was shocked by what happened.

LEAH ORTIZ (AMI’S MOTHER)They say we are missionaries. That we’re trying

to steal the Jew’s souls, that we are worse than the Nazis.

ASHER MEDINA, JEWISH ANTI-MISSIONARYThe missionary is a snake, as a snake comes

crawling under the door without anyone noticing it, without anyone opening their eyes or raising an eyebrow.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERYou know, they think that Jews did it.

ISRAELI WOMAN AT BASKETBALL GAMENo, I don’t think so.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERSo, whoever did it thinks of you as an enemy?

DAVID ORTIZI am the enemy, yes.

NARRATORThere was everything that was needed to solve

the mystery, a camera system that captured everything, and a small town, where everyone knows everyone. They all know who the Messianics are and who is the fanatic and who this boy is. A gifted basketball player, who carried on his body the scars that were caused by a terrorist that no one can find. A terrorist everyone thinks is Jewish. He remembers joining his dad, and these tours in a protected bus in Samaria, touring with a group of Christian pilgrims to see sights less seen in the Holy Land.

DAVID ORTIZI live here in this corner more or less.

This was the end of town.

NARRATORThis story takes place in Ariel, a house that can

be identified, by the cameras that grow like horns around the third floor. Only now we can say that they where there all the time. They captured in real time the terrorist that operated here on Purim, exactly one year ago.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERCan you hear me?

AMI ORTIZYou need to speak a bit louder.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERLouder?

AMI ORTIZIt’s hard for me to hear. Both of my ears were

injured. The eardrum was damaged.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERToday, Ami Ortiz is appearing here for the first

time. One year later, his family decided to reveal his face for the first time. His face and his injuries.


AMI ORTIZFrom here to here, there are shards. Here, I had

glass pieces. Here, it was like this. I also had burns here. They took skin from here and implanted it here and here. These are my main injuries.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERIt’s not so simple is it?

NARRATORHe was in the hospital for five months. There are

over one hundred shards all over his body. Pieces of metal, safety pins and screws. Some of his toes were amputated. Ami Ortiz was fifteen.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERAre there guilt feelings?

LEAH ORTIZAre there what?

BEN SHENI, REPORTERAmi actually paid the price...

LEAH ORTIZYes...

BEN SHENI, REPORTER…for your faith as parents.

LEAH ORTIZYes, that’s right. Yes.

NARRARORWhen we talked about faith, we mean the one

that causes the most antagonism.

DAVID ORTIZ(praying over food at the dinner table)

Father in heaven, we thank You for this food we are eating.

NARRATORThe Ortiz family belongs to the group called the

Messianic Jews.

LEAH ORTIZ(speaking in the dining room)

Shabbat Shalom.

NARRATORThe mother, Leah, a Jew was born in New York.

As she grew up, she chose to believe in Jesus.

AMI ORTIZ(Praying at the dinner table)

Blessed art though, the Lord G-d, the King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine. Amen.

NARRATORDavid is a Christian from Puerto Rico. After they

got married they decided to come to Israel. They had six kids here. Ami is the youngest.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERSo you know the lecture by heart?

Where Dad’s jokes are?

AMI ORTIZI know this by heart.

NARRATORThe oldest daughter is a teacher in high school.

The other four sons finished their combat military service in the IDF. There’s no reason not to call them the salt of the earth, but here are those who only see them as missionaries.

ASHER MEDINA, JEWISH ANTI-MISSIONARYThat’s exactly the fraud. You won’t see anything

different, because this is the system. This is how it operates. To serve in the army, and of course, one of their biggest obligations of those who go to the army, is to attract followers there. From this point on, what do they plot? What is their intention? Who’s funding them? We must remember, this is a cult were talking about. They have a purpose. That person has prayer meetings in his house every Friday.

NARRATORWe went to Bnei-Brak to understand the roots of

the hostility. Organizations such as “Yad-Leachim” operate from here against the missionaries. (cont’d)


NARRATOR (cont’d)We must emphasize that Asher Medina, as well

as “Yad-Leachim” represents a worldview. We do not connect them to the bombing in any way.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERWhy Ariel of all places?

ASHER MEDINA, JEWISH ANTI-MISSIONARYAriel is a comfortable place to operate in, a

comfortable population, more attentive to materialistic temptations, and it’s probably working, it’s probably happening.

NARRATORIt’s hard to overstate when connecting the town

in Samaria and the evangelical Christians. It’s not only expressed in singing and dancing. David Ortiz, the head of the Messianic community in town, has a vital part in the fact that in the last years, millions of dollars were sent here, donation money. Money that comes from such congregations. Christians that believe that from Ariel the Salvation will come.

DAVID ORTIZThey call this the occupied territories. This is

actually the repossessed territory. This land has a contract from G-d Himself. And the Bible’s still here.

CHRISTIAN TOURISTS FROM NORWAYHallelujah!

MOSES HANSEN,NORWEGIAN CHRISTIAN TOUR GUIDE

Who is a Jew? You are a Jew. Come on. We do this as it says that we are going to grab hold in a Jew. We are going to grab hold in a Jew and say, “We will go with you, because we have seen that your G-d is a true G-d. The G-d of Israel. The true G-d.” I want to grab hold in your…in your t-shirt. Hallelujah. And say I…

AMI ORTIZAs a kid I was ashamed of it. It’s different. You’re

not like every other kid. It’s a bit weird.

NARRATORHe knows exactly how they look at them. The boy

that grew up surrounded by cameras, also understand it’s dangerous.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERDo you remember the injury?

AMI ORTIZYes.

BEN SHENI, REPORTEREverything?

AMI ORTIZYes.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERBefore and after?

AMI ORTIZYes.

NARRATORIt happened on Purim eve, the bomb arrived

hidden in a gift package, which was put by the door.

AMI ORTIZI tore the wrapping and when I picked up the…it

was like this basket, and when I picked it up, it exploded.

DAVID ORTIZMaybe you would like to see, this was here.

LEAH ORTIZThe package was here.

AMI ORTIZI was thrown to the kitchen. I became blind. I also

became deaf for a few seconds from the explosion.

LEAH ORTIZHe laid here.


AMI ORTIZI began hearing people asking what’s my name?

What happened? And I heard someone, one of the neighbors called and ambulance and said I was in critical condition.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERWhat’s this?

DAVID ORTIZThis is Ami. That’s the picture that my neighbor

took in his cell phone. He took Ami’s picture when he was…

BEN SHENI, REPORTERHe took a picture of him lying in the kitchen floor.

DAVID ORTIZYes. That is where they put the…the cleaning

lady, she put something here because he had…

BEN SHENI, REPORTERBlood that gushed out?

DAVID ORTIZYes.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERShe’s holding his artery, because he was bleeding

a lot.

AMI ORTIZ I heard the siren and the ambulance was driving

very fast, so I began feeling stressed.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERThat’s when you began feeling stressed?

AMI ORTIZI was stressed. That’s when I realized something

is terribly wrong here. So I asked that they put me to sleep in the ambulance.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERYou asked?

AMI ORTIZYes. I knew that if I would fall asleep, when I

wake up it would be better.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERAnd?

AMI ORTIZBut, no.

NARRATORAmi was rushed to the hospital in critical

condition. Straight to emergency surgery that took eight hours.

DAVID ORTIZI told G-d, G-d I’m in the dark now. I can’t see

anything. Anything. I want an answer. I need You to answer our prayer.

NARRATORWhile his son was fighting for his life, his father

sat in the hallway and read the book of Job.

DAVID ORTIZ(Reciting from the Book of Job in the Tanakh)“Now there was a day when the sons of G-d

presented themselves before the Lord and sin came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Where are you coming from?’”

BEN SHENI, REPORTERAnd who is Satan in this story?

LEAH ORTIZIt’s a very sensitive question, but they knew from

the start that it was Jews.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERYes?

LEAH ORTIZNot Palestinians, yes.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERFrom the first moment they told you it was Jews.


LEAH ORTIZYes, yes, yes.

DAVID ORTIZThey’re religious, but not regular religious.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERHow do you know they’re religious?

DAVID ORTIZFirst of all, non-religious don’t care, they don’t

care what we believe or do not believe in. That was someone who cared. (David Ortiz shows a warning poster of missionaries: ARIEL RESIDENTS, BEWARE!)

NARRATORFlyers were distributed in Ariel in the past that

warned the town residents about the missionaries. David and Leah’s pictures are on the top of the page.

BEN SHENI, REPORTEROrtiz David, with his home address, nu? Whoever

wants to operate knows exactly where.

ASHER MEDINA, JEWISH ANTI-MISSIONARYThose flyers that are spread by the Orthodox

organizations that fight the missionaries actually reveal those missionaries faces. Their main purpose is to pretend. This is their system, and once their system is exposed, then everything just collapses and they are caught in their nakedness and they escape.

LEAH ORTIZIf someone is trying to murder someone else, and

they don’t succeed, what do you think will happen? What do you think will happen?

ASHER MEDINA, JEWISH ANTI-MISSIONARYIf we put aside the bombing story, which is hard

and painful, which we are disclaiming, but if we look at those and won’t hesitate, and won’t look at this story, through this horrible bombing, but we will look at this family’s deeds, we will see that this family is actually the dangerous one, which causes the worse sabotage.

LEAH ORTIZThey wanted to kill us. It doesn’t just leave the

person. They failed, so maybe they will try to do something again.

NARRATORIsrael does not lack haters of Messianic Jews.

Who is responsible for this bombing? A year later, and the police have no answers. Although, allegedly it’s all in here, saved in this computer that operates an elaborate camera system.

DAVID ORTIZHere we see the parking.

Now it’s at the entrance. Now it’s at the stairs.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERThis is your wife at the entrance.

DAVID ORTIZYes.

NARRATORThe system is sensitive to movement. It

automatically goes to where someone is moving the video. Sometimes it’s a cat passing in the street. Sometimes it’s a person going up the stairs.

DAVID ORTIZ(off camera) Linda? Where going to start.

(to reporter)…yes, because sometimes you have to use force.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERDavid is going downstairs for a minute to ask the

neighbors to quiet down. We get a live preview of how their house is recorded day and night.

DAVIDTheodore?

BEN SHENI, REPORTERWhat’s this? He went downstairs?

DAVIDTheodore?


THEODORE, NIEGHBORYes?

DAVID ORTIZWhat’s happening is Channel 2 is upstairs.

THEODORE, NEIGHBORYes.

DAVID ORTIZAnd they said the radio is bothering them.

THEODORE, NEIGHBORNo, sure. No problem. I was just in the shower…

DAVID ORTIZOkay.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERWho watched it?

DAVID ORTIZWe watched it. The police watched it.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERI can also assume that whoever is investigating

this, such as the GSS, and other security forces watched it.

DAVID ORTIZYes.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERDo you know of any suspects being investigated?

DAVID ORTIZNone.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERNo one?

DAVID ORTIZThere isn’t even one.

NARRATOROnly recently, by our request, the court has

allowed us to reveal new pieces of the affair. Today

NARRATOR (cont’d)we can tell that the security cameras recorded

the terrorist. Recorded him in real time putting the explosive gift basket at the entrance of the Ortiz’s apartment.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERWere there any arrests? Were there suspects?

YOSSI GRAIVERTHE ORTIZ FAMILY’S ATTORNEY

No.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERThere weren’t any suspects?

YOSSI GRAIVER,THE ORTIZ FAMILY’S ATTORNEY

There aren’t any suspects.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERHow do you explain this?


This is a question we should be asking the police.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERAnd how do they explain it when you ask them?


They don’t see themselves as though they owe the family any answers.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERWhere’s the camera?

GIL GOLDFEATHER,SECURITY CAMERA TECHNICIAN

The camera is up there. It views the whole street.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERHow many cameras like this did you install here?


GIL GOLDFEATHER, SECURITY CAMERA TECHNICIAN

Seven cameras.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERWe cannot broadcast the pictures that were

recorded by the security cameras. David can only describe to us what he understands happened in the stairway.

DAVID ORTIZHe arrived. Here he had the package.This was closed, and he put it down.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERWhere? He walked in here…

DAVID ORTIZThis way. And the cleaning lady took it inside.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERThe cleaning lady took it inside.

DAVID ORTIZYes.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERIs there anything else we can identify about this

person? What he is wearing?

GIL GOLDFEATHER,SECURITY CAMERA TECHNICIAN

An IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) uniform.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERHe is wearing an IDF uniform.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERWhat about nekama (revenge)?

DAVID ORTIZNekama. What is that word again? I forgot.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERNekama…revenge.

DAVID ORTIZRevenge…nekama…right. No.

LEAH ORTIZI am afraid, because they are still out there

somewhere. How do I know where they can be? Maybe I’m standing in line in the post office with whoever did this? Maybe they come sometimes and watch to see what we are doing? I don’t know. I don’t want to risk my family. I can’t.

NARRATORWe can’t talk about Ami without mentioning

basketball. A gifted player who was expected to have a professional career.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERAnd today, what is difficult for you to do when we

talk about the ball?

AMI ORTIZEverything, because I don’t have…my hand is

slow, and I can’t do all the movements so…and it’s weak too. I just can’t do everything.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERYou do feel it or you don’t feel it?

AMI ORTIZI feel it. I miss the feeling. I can’t hold it.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERWhat?

AMI ORTIZLike this…with one hand either.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERYou can’t. You used to be able to.

NARRATORA few weeks after we did the shooting, they

surprised us with a phone call. Ami went back to play basketball. It doesn’t make sense. Last time we saw him, he looked like someone who will need a long rehabilitation.


BEN SHENI, REPORTERFor how long have you known Ami?

AMI’S FRIEND #1I’ve known him since the third grade.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERAnd you?

OR SHIFRIS, AMI’S FRIEND #2Since preschool.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERSince preschool?

You were together then already?

OR SHIFRIS, AMI’S FRIEND #2Yes.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERAnd how long do you know that he’s a son of a

family of Messianic Jews?

OR SHIFRIS, AMI’S FRIEND #2Since the bombing.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERYes? Before then didn’t you know?

OR SHIFRIS, AMI’S FRIEND #2(Nodding his head as to say, “No”)

NARRATOROne of Ami’s points of light is his coach, Shalom.

A veteran of the First Lebanon War, the one who didn’t let his captain give up from the start, the one he knows from a young age.

SHALOM BEN ELIAHUAMI’S BASKETBALL COACH

It’s clear he started playing basketball long before anyone else here. So, when I have a problem with the center, if I have a problem where I need a tall guy, he plays as the tall guy. He fills all positions.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERBecause he’s good at everything?

SHALOM BEN ELIAHU,AMI’S BASKETBALL COACH

He’s good at everything. He’s a gifted boy. Today he can’t play center, because he has a problem with his hands.

NARRATORThose who know him, know that he can’t hold a

ball, with his left hand that he’s taking pain killers before he goes on the court, that this game will cause him to lie down in bed all day tomorrow, moaning with pain. At the beginning we see he’s not quite al together yet. Ami is afraid to go under the basket, not to mention holding the ball. Shalom and the team have developed methods to cover up Ami’s limitations.

SHALOM BEN ELIAHU,AMI’S BASKETBALL COACH

But don’t let them hear it, I have more games. He can’t catch the ball, he pushes it to a certain side, and there, there’s a player that knows the ball falls there, and that gives us the fast break.

NARRATORAnd this is how it works. Instead of catching, Ami

pushes the ball straight into Ariel’s fast break. And then we saw it, the spark he’s got. A shot and another shot. The talent that’s in the boy from Ariel is coming out of the injured body.

GAME ONLOOKERHe’s amazing. He’s amazing.

AMI ORTIZIt feels good. I’m not angry and not…

BEN SHENI, REPORTERNo anger?

AMI ORTIZNo. I’m not angry.

BEN SHENI, REPORTERNot even at those who did it?


AMI ORTIZ(Nods as to say “No”)

LEAH ORTIZThey have no fear of G-d, and

I feel sorry for them, because they’re going to hell, they going to the path to Gehenam. They’re ruining their lives and they tried to ruin our lives but they failed.

NARRATORIn the second half he’s

weakening. The coach notices it and sends him to rest on the bench. For the family these are the moments of satisfaction. It’s been a year now, and you cannot miss his smile that returned to his face.

REVEALING FACTS“Those flyers that are spread by the Orthodox organizations that fight the missionaries actually reveal those missionaries faces.” -Asher Medina, Jewish Anti-Missionary & Orthodox Journalist in the “HaMevaser.”

“It’s been a year now, and

you cannot miss his smile

that returned to his face.”-Narrator, Uvda TV, Israel

(visit www.amiortiz.com)

http://www.amiortiz.com





On February 20, 2009, leaders of Messianic congregations in Israel met to discuss the Ortiz

bombing case and overwhelmingly decided to pool resources within the community and to take action.

A decision was made to create the Hate Crime Prevention Fund (HCPF).

Visit www.amiortiz.com to see how you can get involved in helping to solve the Ortiz bombing case.

"The world is a dangerous place,not because of those who do evil,

but because of those who lookon and do nothing."

-Albert Einstein



the ami ortiz “uvdah interview” on channel 2 (israel)...

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