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My son, Asaf, 17 years previous and within the eleventh grade, was murdered in a terror assault. On March 5, 2003, a Hamas suicide bomber exploded on bus #37 in our hometown of Haifa. Seventeen males, ladies, and youngsters have been killed—9 of them schoolchildren returning residence from one other day at college.
Regardless that I used to be born and raised in Israel, I used to be shocked. I couldn’t perceive what might drive an individual to take his personal life simply to kill as many Jews as potential. I couldn’t comprehend the hatred that fueled such an act. Decided to grasp, I realized that the mom of the suicide bomber—who, in keeping with Muslim customs, ought to have welcomed mourners in black clothes and served bitter espresso—selected as a substitute to put on regular garments and hand out sweets. I  was astonished that this mom might hate my little one greater than she liked her personal.
That was after I realized we have been dealing with an issue far deeper than we acknowledge. If hatred is taught at residence, strengthened in faculties, and celebrated in kindergartens—the place youngsters are dressed as suicide bombers and college performances glorify killing settlers—then one other spherical of fruitless negotiations, like these we’ve got seen prior to now, won’t deliver change.
TERROR ATTACK ROCKS ISRAEL; THREE BUSES REPORTEDLY EXPLODE
Asaf Tzur, was killed in a Hamas terrorist assault on March 5, 2003, when a suicide bomber blew up a bus in Haifa. Asaf was 17 years previous. (Tzur Household)
We’re a peace-seeking individuals. We’re prepared to go to nice lengths to compromise and obtain peace—however solely with those that share that want. Terrorist extremists will not be companions looking for peace however relatively our full annihilation.
As a household, we needed to proceed our lives and discover therapeutic, regardless that no father or mother can really heal from the loss of a kid. A few years after the assault, we have been lucky to have one other child boy. Usually, dad and mom deliver youngsters into the world to present them life, pleasure, and happiness. In our case, the kid we got introduced life again to us. He allowed us to give attention to the constructive points of life, at the same time as we carried our grief alongside them.
We joined the actions of OneFamily, a corporation that helps terror victims and their households. We needed to return to work and stay our lives as if we have been “regular” individuals. At work, you have to placed on a “comfortable face.” You need to seem regular, even when one thing triggers a reminiscence of your murdered son and all you need is to discover a quiet place to cry. However in OneFamily conferences, retreats, and journeys, we have been surrounded by bereaved dad and mom like us. We might share our ideas and experiences with out concern of judgment. We may very well be ourselves with out worrying about how we appeared to others. After the October 7 assault, we met with newly bereaved households from our metropolis to introduce them to OneFamily and the help it supplies.
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Buses carrying Palestinian safety prisoners are greeted by a crowd after being launched from an Israeli jail following a ceasefire settlement with Israel, within the West Financial institution metropolis of Ramallah, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Picture/Nasser Nasser)
Sadly, the household of bereaved individuals continues to develop. Even now, with the return of hostages taken on October 7 and later murdered in Gaza, new households will want great help to rebuild their lives.
Israel is paying a excessive value to deliver again its kidnapped residents—lifeless or alive. Many convicted terrorists are being freed in trade. Amongst them is Ali Hasan Al-Ragbi, who was sentenced to 18 life phrases for his function within the assault that killed my son Asaf. Three different terrorists concerned in the identical assault have been launched in 2011 as a part of the deal to free kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.
I’m utterly against the discharge of terrorists. It’s unjust, immoral, and mistaken. It weakens Israel as a state and erodes our justice system. Worse, it encourages extra younger individuals to develop into terrorists, realizing that one other deal will at all times come. Up to now, I fought towards these releases. However this time, I selected to not object. The sheer variety of hostages, their ages, and the horror of what they’ve endured demand extraordinary measures.
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Asaf will an Eleventh-grader when a Hamas terrorist took his life in Haifa, Israel. (Tzur Household)
As an alternative, I select to battle for the longer term—to make sure that nothing like October 7 ever occurs once more. Israel should undertake a harsher coverage towards terror. No extra containment, no extra warnings, no extra empty threats. We should act otherwise than we’ve got prior to now if we’re to be protected.
My son Asaf was murdered. However I’ve three extra sons and three grandchildren residing in Israel. At Asaf’s open grave, I swore that I might do every thing in my energy to maintain them protected—and that “By no means Once more” would apply, firstly, to my household.
