On Thursday, the Saadia family visited the grave of Liran, who was killed by an anti-tank missile strike in Maroun al-Ras during the Second Lebanon War. Twenty years have passed, but the pain has not faded.
“Liran should have been 41 years old today,” his father Zion said. “We feel how much we miss him all the time.”
“He was our eldest son,” they said. “He served in Egoz, an elite unit, and it was a great source of pride for him and for us. He was supposed to be discharged a few months after he was killed. He had already begun looking into future options, and only after his death did we discover that he had taken entrance exams for the Mossad.”
Liran was killed on July 20, a week after the war began. His force encountered Hezbollah militants and four soldiers were killed in the exchange of fire: Maj. Benji Hillman, Sgt. 1st Class Liran Saadia, Sgt. 1st Class Nadav Balua and Sgt. 1st Class Raphanel Moskal.
“We were on vacation in Thailand with friends from Kiryat Shmona,” Zion recalled. “There was a police officer with us who knew what had happened before we did, but he and his wife did not say a word. They waited until the ambassador arrived and informed us of the tragedy. It was a moment you never forget: cries of grief, a lot of tears, and then we had to return to Israel on a long and incredibly painful journey to bury Liran.”
Almost the entire city of Kiryat Shmona came to offer condolences. The Saadia family is well known in the city. Zion, 70, is a legendary physical education teacher who continues to teach. Michal, who retired four years ago, was an art teacher and educator in the city.
Liran was a member of the youth movement “Idan — A Beautiful World Through Youth,” whose core values include involvement and helping the community. His parents said he often connected with struggling students, brought them to his home and became their private tutor, with the house serving as a classroom.
During his military service, Liran completed a commanders’ course and served as a basic training instructor. As in his civilian life, he stood out in the army and received two certificates of excellence, as both a trainee and a commander.
Liran Saadia
(Reproduction photography: Effi Sharir)
“Liran is remembered as someone who always made sure to create peace among his friends. He was the one who reconciled people on the team,” his parents said. “His teammates and those he commanded always described him as a person and a soldier who supported, helped and cared for everyone. During marches, despite the heavy equipment he carried on his back, he always made sure to help and pull forward those who were falling behind.”
They noted that their son continued working for the community even during his military service, volunteering with the “Simcha LaYeled” association.
The family’s pain has grown even deeper in recent years.
“Twenty years have passed since the Second Lebanon War and since our tragedy, and the war in the north has essentially still not ended. It is impossible to grasp,” Michal said with pain.
Zion added: “I don’t think anyone believed back then that after so many years, we would be evacuated, along with the rest of Kiryat Shmona’s residents, that we would end up living in a hotel in Netanya and that our home would also be hit by a missile.”
They find some comfort in their other children and the three grandchildren they have had.
“We try to live and think positively,” Michal said. “Our grandchildren live in Netanya, Jerusalem and Moshav Nehalim, and we never stop traveling to visit them.”
Zion added: “We are happy that our grandchildren are not growing up here, but somewhere safer, far from almost daily shelling, helicopters and wounded people.”
Michal concluded: “Look what happened to Kiryat Shmona. It was an amazing city, but now it is empty. There is no life here at all. It is summer vacation, but there are hardly any children in the streets or playgrounds. Many residents have not returned to live here, many homes are empty and many businesses have closed. It is terribly sad. The war has not truly ended, but let it be clear: We are here, hoping that better days will come soon.”