Roni remembers his brother Fadi, 'the pain persists'
Fadi Kazamel from the Druze village of Beit Jann was engaged to Bonina, whom he planned to marry after his release from active military service—but the helicopter disaster cut his plans short.
He planned to marry Bonina at the end of his military service and his dream was to receive a plot of land on Har Aryeh, to build a modest house and raise children—but his plans were cut short.
Fadi's last conversation on the day of the disaster was with his brother Roni. "We always remember our dear brother," Roni said this week. "It's the kind of pain that cannot be forgotten, this pain exists not only on Memorial Day but every day. I remember my brother smiling, one who always loved to help people. All the things he loved remained in our memory."
The Defense Ministry's memorial site, Yizkor, noted that Fadi, the son of Shaharban and Majid, was "a source of pride for his family, who took over the role of father when Shaharban was away from home, and helped his mother care for his younger siblings. Fadi loved music and he especially liked to listen to Ofer Levi, Zohar Argov and Aviv Geffen."
The brother, Roni, said that "Fadi was engaged to be married. He was also considering continuing to serve in the army, but he died before he realized his dreams."
"My last conversation with him was at 10:30am," Roni remembered. "I was in Tel Aviv and I called him and asked if the roads in the north were open because it had been snowing that day. He told me, 'I was on vacation, but they asked me come in.'"
The brother also said that "after the disaster, my father, may he rest in peace, joined the movement demanding the soldiers be pulled out of Lebanon. The State of Israel is in conflict with enemy states, and in my opinion, achieving peace is a bit difficult—there have been casualties and there will continue to be casualties. I can't say I'm proud my brother had fallen, but I'm not ashamed either. It's a painful case; I would have been proud if my brother was an officer in the army."
Lt. Col. Amnon Assoulin, commander of the Romach Battalion where Fadi served, wrote at the time to Fadi's fiancée: "I remember how Fadi, with his happiness and his special smile, came to me for a personal interview because he wanted to ask me for a special leave and especially, to personally tell me that he was going to get engaged. I was so happy to see Fadi proudly saying that he was engaged, and asked me to join the family party. I couldn't make it and regretted it, but Fadi did not forget to come after the engagement party and bring me some delightful samplings, and especially to show me your picture."
"Every bereaved family is my family," added Roni.
(Translated and edited by N. Elias)
