In a gesture of compassion that could be interpreted as an act of defiance against the inflexibility of the IDF, President Isaac Herzog on Monday awarded special certificates of recognition to the families of Yotam Haim, Samar Talalka, and Alon Shamriz, who were among the hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7.
The trio had succeeded in escaping their captors and were within reasonable distance of the Israeli border when shot by a combat unit that mistook them for terrorists even though they were waving a makeshift white flag and were yelling in Hebrew.
Shamriz, who was a reservist, had received his call-up orders on October 7, but not in time to reach his base prior to the Hamas assault.
However, his family and many other Israelis thought that he should be recognized as a fallen soldier. The IDF denied their request, stating that he was not a soldier at the time of his death. The family appealed to the High Court of Justice but lost out again when the state attorney, while acknowledging that Alon had been a reservist, used the same argument as the IDF.
The incident and its aftermath sparked outrage throughout the country, and Herzog was so moved by the suffering of the family, that he announced last month that he would give the families of the three soldiers, whom he regarded as heroes of the nation, special certificates of recognition on behalf of the state.
For all that, in his address on Monday, Herzog praised the army, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), and all the security forces who, he said, he was convinced were doing their utmost to bring the hostages home.
At the emotionally charged ceremony, there were many embraces among the families as well as from Herzog, hostage return pointman Gal Hirsch, and some of the families of hostages still in Gaza.
Herzog noted the bravery of the three young men – all in their twenties – whose fates, he said, were intertwined as they tried to save themselves from their captivity.
Lauding their determination, courage, and exceptional commitment to each other, Herzog said that their journey from the Valley of Death unfortunately ended in tragedy on the battlefield.
Empathizing with the families who had been living between fear and hope, only to have their hopes crushed when salvation was so close at hand, Herzog marveled at how the families had endured such agony. “It takes extreme strength of spirit,” he said.
Emphasizing that Israel is now going through a very crucial period, Herzog spoke of embracing the families of all the hostages still in Gaza and voiced the fervent prayer that they will all soon be home.
Families speak of heroism, remaining hostages
That prayer was echoed by all those who spoke on behalf of their families.
Iris Haim, the mother of Yotam, remarked on the fact that it was exactly four months to the day when her son and his two comrades were killed. The family didn’t know what happened to him, she said, but they knew he was strong, and were optimistic that he would survive and come home.
She referred to the trio as partisans, cooperating closely with each other, and each giving the best of himself.
Even though they did not live to return, she pointed out, they did escape and died as free men.
Samar’s uncle Itzhak Talalka, speaking on behalf of the family, spoke directly to Samar, telling him how much he was missed and loved, and how he and his fellow escapees represented tolerance, patience, and acceptance of the other.
Alon’s brother Ido thanked Herzog and his wife for their sensitivity.
In a quiet voice, he said that unfortunately Alon had been denied recognition as a fallen soldier. When hoping for his return, his family had planned to celebrate. “Instead of a celebration, we had a tragedy,” he said.
He underscored that there are still 133 hostages who have not yet come home, and it is a matter of vital urgency that they return as soon as possible.