Adir, the second of my three sons, was an IDF infantry soldier who fell in battle on October 7, one of over 1200 victims of Hamas’ bloody invasion of Israel’s south.
Adir was an extraordinary son and a talented soldier. A quiet but determined character, he was a commander of his fireteam and a trained sniper after only 11 months of service. His ambition was to one day lead his battalion, the storied Golani Brigade’s 13th.
On the day of the invasion, Adir's unit was attacked by a large force of Hamas terrorists. After an hour and twenty minutes of combat, in which he and his team killed around 45 terrorists, Adir himself was killed. His actions that day were enough to have prevented Hamas from advancing on additional cities deeper into the country. Had it not been for his sacrifice along with many other brave soldiers, police officers and armed citizens across the country, many more Israelis would have been murdered in their homes.
When Adir's shrapnel-riddled body was delivered for burial, his head was missing. Through interrogation of Hamas terrorists, the IDF discovered that it had been taken back to Gaza as a trophy, so that the terrorists who killed him could collect a $10,000 bounty. For context, the average middle-class family in Gaza earns $3,000 a year, giving us an idea of how Gaza has become sick with Hamas' insane bloodlust.
I did not have to go through the experience of buying Adir’s head back from Hamas, however, thanks to the bravery of the IDF, who retrieved it from a freezer in Gaza City. The IDF’s fight against Hamas in Gaza allowed me to rebury my son whole, and they must now be given every support to finish the job by defeating Hamas and returning all of the hostages.
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Our willingness to fight has not made us a cruel nation, and it is Adir's "mitzvot" — his good deeds — that will bless his memory. I am setting up a nonprofit in his memory — Adir BaMarom, referencing Psalm 93 — to bring Jerusalem’s marginalized youth back into society. I want them to grow up to serve in the IDF with distinction, just like Adir, and go on to raise families of warriors of their own.
For my family, our service will continue because we have no other option but to defeat Hamas and all of our enemies. My youngest son, Sagi, has just turned 18 and will soon be called up to the IDF. He is determined to follow in both of his brothers’ footsteps — my eldest son Oz also served in combat, and I am sure that my eldest grandson, now only 7, will one day as well.
As his father, I know that the choice of whether to serve in combat is Sagi’s right, but it is also his responsibility. Israel still has millions of families to protect, and our enemies know no mercy when they see the opportunity to attack. We cannot shrink in the face of tragedies like the loss of Adir, and he would not want us to either. In a war on the home front, victory is the only option. But our fight against Hamas today is what keeps this violence away from your homes in America.
To those in the US who believe that America is better off withdrawing from the Middle East, believe me when I say that the hatred that Hamas represents knows no borders and no obstacles. With evil ideologies like Hamas and Iran, you can either fight them today on your own terms, or fight them in your own homes on their terms. We learned that the hard way on October 7.
Israelis do not ask or expect American boots to defend our borders — we do not lack for heroes like Adir. But we do ask that you support us in ways that only the world’s greatest power can. In return, you will have no sounder, closer, and more committed ally than Israel, and our sons and daughters in uniform.
From Jerusalem, I call for our American friends to keep vigilant and stay engaged with the world. The war against radical Islamic terrorism is far from over, and we will always be stronger together.
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