The assassination of Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, one of Israel's premier enemies in recent decades, has elicited mixed reactions among bereaved families whose loved ones were killed during his tenure. For some, it represents personal and historical closure. Yet, emotions are far more complex: while it is indeed a significant achievement for Israel's security forces, it does not heal the deep wounds left by war on the souls of grieving parents, siblings and children.
Liora Hasson, whose son, Staff Sergeant Guy Hasson, fell on August 13, 2006, during the final day of the Second Lebanon War, said she is "not getting carried away" with celebrating until the entire so-called axis of evil is destroyed.
"If we put everything in perspective, I'm not celebrating or handing out sweets. I've already taken my hit. I am glad that the head of the 'axis of evil' has been eliminated, but I will only truly rejoice when the entire axis is destroyed. Until then, this is just a small point in my heart, warming another corner, but I'm not getting carried away. Revenge won't lead to anything. After today, we should remember what all the fallen in this current war have said and what our sons hoped for – that when this nation unites and works together, we will prevail eightfold. The only comfort would be if Guy returned; nothing else will help. As a Jewish Israeli, I am proud that we have wonderful sons in the sea, air and land forces who know how to do the job,." she said.
"In a sense, quite the opposite – today I am sadder, and the pain is sharper. This entire period is déjà vu of what happened 18 years ago. If we were united and did not have this hatred among the people, we could have reached this operation much sooner. We have the capabilities and everything, but everything is overshadowed when there is hatred," she added.
"There's a song written by Moshe Klughaft called 'We Deserve More.' I think what summarizes the IDF's tremendous success today in eliminating Nasrallah is seeing that we deserve more. We have an excellent army, a wonderful nation, and if we know how to direct it, unite it and not incite, then we will reach perfection, and as a people we deserve more. Today, there's nothing more fitting than this song to tell our leaders: we deserve more, more than what you are. We deserve leadership that understands and knows how to unite this nation. We deserve people who know how to take responsibility."
'For many years I waited for Nasrallah to be held accountable'
Tal Sheinbrum, whose brother Yaniv Sheinbrum fell in the Second Lebanon War alongside Guy Hasson, reflected on the sense of closure.
"This is something that has accompanied me personally and my family for 18 years since the Second Lebanon War, where I fought alongside Yaniv. We were both in Lebanon. On the last day, when the cease-fire terms had been agreed but had not yet taken effect, Yaniv was hit by an anti-tank missile. While they were treating him, another missile hit, and he died. I was deep in Lebanon at the time and was informed in the evening hours, and from that moment our lives changed. I won't say that I was preoccupied daily with Nasrallah's future, but for many years I waited for him to be held accountable for what happened to my brother and others during the 30 years he has led this organization. Hearing that it happened gave me a significant sense of closure and revenge for all the evil he brought to this world," he said.
Is there a message you’d like to convey to our leaders?
"The policy of containment has not proven itself. This attempt not to heat up the area and not to disturb the calm in the north and south has led us to a harsher reality than before. We need to respond wherever and whenever they try to harm us. Beyond that, I think the policy that relies solely on military action and strikes will not change the future for my children in the Middle East and in our country. We need to leverage military successes for a more strategic solution to change the reality so our children have a future here. As a citizen of the state, a father, and a bereaved brother – with all due respect to Nasrallah, Hezbollah and Hamas, in the end, the only thing that will determine the fate of the state and the chance for our children to live here is the internal relations among us within Israel. We need to stop the division, look at each other, and see our brothers."
Lt. German Rozhkov fell in battle near Hanita in the Western Galilee in March 2002, at the age of 22. That day, two terrorists infiltrated from Lebanon, positioned themselves on two hills near Kibbutz Hanita, and opened fire on cars passing by on a road near Kibbutz Matzuva. About 20 poeple were wounded and five were killed. Rozhkov, who happened to be in the area, bravely charged at the terrorists but did not survive the encounter.
His mother, Ludmila, who lives in Kiryat Shmona and was evacuated to a hotel in Tiberias at the start of the war, called the assassination of Nasrallah an "amazing event."
"You have no idea how much I waited for this moment, as a bereaved mother. A single bullet from Hezbollah terrorists who infiltrated Israel caused me to lose my only son, German. He was a young officer who loved Kiryat Shmona so much and charged the terrorists courageously. Since I lost him, I haven't really had a life," she told Ynet.
She describes her feelings upon hearing about the assassination: "I'm already waiting to visit German's grave in the military section of the cemetery in Kiryat Shmona. I will tell him that our army is strong and mighty, and there's nothing like our air force. The assassination of Nasrallah is an amazing event, something we should have seen long ago."
However, Ludmila emphasizes that the assassination does not end the struggle. "Sure, they eliminated Nasrallah, the man who frightened us for many years, but this is not the time to be dazzled or relax. We must continue to act and deliver more blows. Who knows who will step into the shoes of this wicked man. It might be someone even more violent and determined in their ideology to destroy Israel."
During the Second Lebanon War, a great tragedy occurred in early August. Near the entrance to Kibbutz Kfar Giladi, soldiers from the Hiram battalion were preparing to enter Lebanon. As they were organizing at the entrance to the kibbutz cemetery, a rocket fired from Lebanon hit them directly. The blast killed Major Eli Alkarif and 11 other reserve soldiers.
Elimination of Hassan Nasrallah: The radio communications of the Commanding Officer of the Israeli Air Force, Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar and the Commander of the 69th Squadron
(IDF)
Alkarif's widow, Libi, talks abut the aftermath of the incident with pain.
"We have a group of widows who lost what was most precious to them. The husband who was killed left behind a wife and small children in the great tragedy of Kfar Giladi. Yesterday, there were rumors that perhaps Nasrallah had been killed, and today it became certain by morning. To tell the truth, there's no sense of relief; this is something that should have been done long ago, despite the complexity involved in such an assassination. Personally, I feel that justice has been done. I thought I would feel relief, but it didn't really happen. We went through a prolonged nightmare of threats and intimidation with Nasrallah, and it's good that he was eliminated. We must see who will come in his place and ensure that the residents of the north can safely return to their homes."
Tzion Saadia, whose son Liran was killed in the Second Lebanon War in 2006, responded to Nasrallah's assassination with a Biblical verse: "'I will pursue my enemies and overtake them; I will not turn back until they are destroyed.' The soil of Lebanon has claimed over a thousand soldiers' lives and wounded thousands, including our son Liran who fell in the Second Lebanon War, along with many fighters. The Israel Defense Forces is a strong army that we trust. For us, today feels like closure as the air force killed the arch-terrorist."