Northern Israel update – Israel mourns soldiers killed in multi-front war

This week, Israel suffered great losses in the multi-front war with several soldiers killed in battle. Major Rabbi Aviram Harib who lived in a small village in Judeah, and was a functioning rabbi left behind his wife Ayelet, and 6 children. Rabbi Harib was well known to a lot of the Israeli community. As a soldier he was famous for taking the values of Torah into battle.

The little desert religious village of Mitzpeh Jericho was bereaved of two of their sons this week, bringing the community into a state of shock. As Simchat Torah ended (the Hebrew date in which the war started a year ago) news broke of four more soldiers falling in battle in Lebanon. From a rank point of view, the greatest loss this week was that of the Druze Colonel Ehsan Daqsa, a commander of the Israel Defense Force’s 401st Armored Brigade.

On Monday, roads came to total standstill in Mount Carmel as thousands attended his funeral. Daqsa is the 6th colonel to fall in battle since the war began. An IDF inquiry into his death found that he was outside his tank with other officers in Gaza walking to an observation point with two other officers. Without knowing that it had been booby-trapped the colonel lead the way and triggered the explosives. He was immediately killed and the other two officers were injured.

Israelis from all religious communities attended his funeral. Those who eulogized him said that the Druze soldier was a born leader who had a quiet self-confidence, resolve, and toughness, but over it all, was a concern for his soldiers, humility, sensitivity, and a strong moral code which made him stand out.

Although much of the enemy has been subdued, as Israel penetrates deeper and deeper into enemy territory, more losses, tragically, seem inevitable.