TV Host Guy Zu-Aretz Pens Heartfelt Tribute to Slain Nephew

Television presenter Guy Zu-Aretz has shared a deeply personal and emotional post dedicated to his nephew, Eli Baram, who was killed during the Nova music festival attack on October 7th. Zu-Aretz expressed the profound grief and difficult questions he has been grappling with since the tragedy, particularly contemplating Eli's final moments as he tried to escape in a vehicle before being shot. "I tried to imagine what went through your mind in those seconds, when your pure goodness met evil incarnate," Zu-Aretz wrote in his direct address to his nephew.

The presenter questioned Eli's thoughts in his last moments, wondering if he worried about his parents, Amos and Adital, and his brothers, Saar and Avithar, who are left to cope with the loss. Zu-Aretz also leveled criticism at the leadership, stating, "Since you left, nothing has changed. Everything remains the same. The same tune, the same orchestra, and the same one conducting it." He added that the conductor insists on moving forward, evading accountability for the past, and avoiding responsibility or sharing the public's pain.

Zu-Aretz described the immense suffering of Eli's mother, Adital, over the past year. He recounted her tearful question to him about whether she would have to miss and grieve Eli like this for the rest of her life, to which he painfully replied that the family would have to learn to live with their terrible loss. He also spoke of his grandmother, Shari, who keeps a photo of Eli with his eyes closed on her sideboard because she cannot bear to look into his eyes. Zu-Aretz noted that his grandmother shares her grandson's story of murder at every chance encounter, driven by a deep need for recognition and solace for her immense pain.

Eli Baram, 27, was killed while attempting to flee the festival. He grew up in Ramat Gan, studied at Ankori High School in Tel Aviv, and served as a combat soldier and squad commander in the Nahal Brigade. Later, he studied under Wim Hof, becoming a pioneer in ice baths and breathwork in Israel, even appearing on the show "Ninja Israel." Alongside his therapeutic work, which included using rubber ducks in ice baths as a tribute to his late grandfather, Eli studied education at the Open University and worked with children. After his death, his friends and family established the "Kor Ro'ah" initiative and the "HaTzva'im shel Eli" (Eli's Colors) association to run workshops for soldiers and evacuees.

Zu-Aretz concluded his message with words of love and a wish: "I'm sorry Eli that I didn't write a single word of optimism. I truly hurt for you, for all of us, for the children, for all the bereaved families left alone. I love you, our wonderful child. I hope you are dancing and celebrating up there. Send us salvation and mercy from your dwelling."