Murderer of Rav Abuhatzeira, "I kissed his hand before killing him"

Asher Dahan

The murderer of Rabbi Elazar Abuhatzeira, the Kabbalah rabbi grandson of the Babi Sali Thursday says he kissed the rabbi’s hand before stabbing him. “I don't know what devil or Satan got into me” at the moment of the murder.
Asher Dahan, who is in police custody, told the Hebrew-languageMaariv newspaper, “I respect Rabbi Abuhatzeira and depend on him for everything. He was everything for me. I worshipped him.”
Dahan murdered the rabbi, grandson of the renowned “Baba Sali” Rabbi Yisrael Abuhatzeira,” in his conference room later Thursday night.
“Every time I left the rabbi, I had a feeling of happiness and joy,” Dahan told police investigators. He gave me hope there is a solution to everything in life, and I never tight for a moment that perhaps he was wrong.
Dahan had consulted Rabbi Abuhatzeira several times lately concerning marital problems.
“There were problem between my wife and me,” Dahan explained. "I went often to the rabbi for advice, and he told me to do allsorts of things, but the situation only got worse. It caused me personal damage, and it reached point that I was afraid of a divorce.”
He described his actions after he entered the rabbi’s conference room without anyone stopping him or asking him any questions. Dahan waited to be the last one to see the rabbi so he could be alone with him.
“I kissed the rabbi’s hand and said a few words” after entering, Dahan related. "Seconds later, I took out the knife and stabbed him in his chest. He screamed and fell to the floor.”