Victims of terror wave mourn losses ahead of Memorial Day
At Jerusalem event, bereaved families and those wounded in recent wave of terror attacks recall their experiences and share their suffering: 'I never thought I would be speaking about my little girl on Memorial Day.'
The event was attended by families of those murdered, along with those who were either wounded in, or survived, attacks.
“I never believed that on Memorial Day I would be speaking about a girl who gave her life for the country,” said Ofer Cohen, the father of Hadar Cohen who was murdered in a terror attack in February at the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem.
Also speaking at the event was Avi Damri, the widower of Simcha Damri who was murdered in the Istanbul terror attack last March. “The physical pain is the easy part of coping, but this abyss of loss and is impossible,” he said in a conversation with Ynet. “Our lives have changed since. Simcha was the main anchor who ensured all of us remained a united and happy family. I, and our four children, have been saying that since Simcha (Hebrew for happiness) left us, so did our happiness,” Avi said.
According to data released on Monday by the National Insurance Institute, since September, 29 people have been killed and 379 wounded in terror attacks. In total, since the end of Israel’s War of Independence, 2,576 civilians have been killed in terror attacks. Terror attacks have also left 3,011 orphans, 107 of whom have lost both parents, 975 widows and widowers and 972 bereaved parents.
Ofer Cohen shared his feelings about his daughter's death: “Now that I know the details of the attack, I understand that I raised a girl with a special soul. My daughter Hadar killed the terrorists and saved lives. We've been embraced by the people of Israel and this helps us to cope with the difficult situation,” he continued. “I won’t lie. We have no comfort in the face of this gaping hole left behind by Hadar. She was a fighter of Israel but for us she was my little daughter. We take comfort when we hear, for example, that there are already four girls named after her.”
Captain Ziv Shilon, who was seriously injured and lost his hand in 2012 during an explosion on the Gaza border, came to support the wounded terror victims. “Big people in this country cope with big challenges. If we, the wounded, know how to overcome the small things, nothing will stop us.”
Maya Rahami, 25, who was moderately wounded last October in an attack in Armon HaNetziv in Jerusalem, also spoke at the ceremony. “I escaped the shooting on the bus when I bent down on my seat and prayed for my life. When I tried to flee, the terrorist stabbed me. I came out alive by a miracle,” she said. “The fear never goes away. It becomes an inseparable part of your life. It's scary to get on a bus, or even to pass youths on the street, but my desire is to keeping moving and looking forward even during highs and lows.”
Natan Meir, who lost his wife Dafna in an attack in Otniel in January, told the wounded and the bereaved families that his wife's would have wanted to "choose life." He added that “This is the hardest commandment of all for us - for the bereaved families. The challenge is to choose life and therefore my children and I are trying to get up every morning, even when we don’t want to, and to choose life. This is our right and duty and we thank everyone who helped us on the way.”
Meir Pavlovsky, 31, who was wounded on the final night of the festival of Sukkot in October in a stabbing attack in Hebron, attended the event with his girlfriend, who has become his fiancée since the attack. “The terrorist was hiding behind the Sukkah and then he jumped, pulled out a knife and while shouting 'Allahu Akbar' stabbed me three times in my stomach and back,” recalled Pavlovsky. “I made my way to the city where I collapsed and paramedics saved me.”
After the attack, Pavlovsky was hospitalized for an extensive period of time, while the terrorist who stabbed him was arrested shortly before Passover. “It is a special feeling to be here with people who have had similar experiences. It is a good feeling to be able to speak with people, some with whom you share similar experiences, and try to help them.”
The president for the IFCJ, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, praised the victims' courage: “It was important for us to say to you that you are heroes. Sometimes, after more and more attacks, people become discouraged. You are heroes who aren't discouraged and continue to hold onto life. No one can feel the extent of your pain, but it is important for every Israeli citizen to understand our debt to you.”
