Actor and injured soldier Idan Amedi refused an invitation to be one of the torch bearers in this year's Independence Day celebrations. The "Fauda" star said in a social media post on Wednesday that he chooses to remain at home and remember those who have fallen in the war.
Amedi who reportedly had already been tapped to host the event and declined, echoed the sentiments of some in the Israeli public, who believe that celebrations are inappropriate while hostages are still held captive by Hamas in Gaza and while soldiers were still fighting in the war, many having lost lives and limbs. The actor was himself seriously injured in battle.
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Idan Amedi upon his release from hospital after being wounded in the fighting in Gaza
"Everywhere I went (in Gaza), I was met by surprised soldiers who would ask what I was doing there. But when I was laying on the ground, dusty, with equipment and weapons, I felt more than ever that I belonged to my people," Amdi wrote "I was fortunate to meet the best of the nation's sons and daughters, real heroes. But before that, people with dreams and passions, who were hungry and homesick."
"I will speak about my part in the war, at some stage. I am proud of the choices I have made. It was clear to me that this time I was fighting for the future of my children, Yaeli and Jonathan and that gave me strength and helped me give others the strength, even in the darkest of places," he also wrote.
He said he had been approached by the media with the news that he would be asked to be a torch bearer.
"There is no greater honor than that, but unfortunately I cannot accept it this year. We have encountered so many heroes since that black Saturday, and I have fought alongside some of them, both in the past and during the current war," he said.
"This year, I will stay at home and join in remembering them like many people in Israel. I hope in the future to maybe have the right to light a torch thanks to the words I write, and not because of the war,"he also said.
"But I will also remember the miracle that is the Jewish state, the depth of which I have recently come to understand. May the memory of Alexey, Akiva, Gavri, Eliran and all the soldiers who fell for us, be blessed. May we be worthy of them," he said ending his post by expressing thanks for the honor bestowed on him by being considered.