Bereaved Family Leaves Israel Over Son's Death, Military Failures
Translated & summarized from Behadrei Haredim by baba
The family of Sergeant Major Gur Kehati, killed in Lebanon in November 2024, is emigrating to Greece due to anger over military failures and lack of accountability. His mother stated, "The country is what gave up on us," citing a perceived lack of support for fallen soldiers. The family seeks community and a future vision, which they feel is absent in Israel. The incident involved a Hezbollah ambush after a reserve commander allowed a civilian into a combat zone without proper authorization.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- The family of fallen soldier Sgt. Maj. Gur Kehati is leaving Israel for Greece.
- They cite military failures and lack of accountability in his November 2024 death in Lebanon.
- His mother stated, "The country is what gave up on us," feeling abandoned by Israel.
- The incident involved a Hezbollah ambush after a reserve commander allowed a civilian into a combat zone.
- The family seeks community and a future vision they feel is missing in Israel.
The family of Sergeant Major Gur Kehati, who was killed in Lebanon at age 20 in November 2024, has decided to leave Israel and move to Crete, Greece. The decision stems from deep anger over perceived failures that led to his death in a battle in southern Lebanon, as well as the military's slow investigation and lack of accountability for those involved. Kehati was killed on November 20, 2024, in the village of Shamaa in southern Lebanon, shortly before a ceasefire took effect. The incident occurred when a military force, including Kehati, entered an ancient fortress believing the area was clear of threats. However, the unit was ambushed by Hezbollah operatives. In the ensuing firefight, Kehati and a civilian investigator, Ze'ev Erlich, were killed, another officer was seriously wounded, and reserve brigade commander Yoav Yarom was moderately wounded. The Hezbollah operatives were killed.
Yarom was later dismissed from the IDF, though this followed his own announcement of resignation. The Kehati family described the chain of failures and their treatment by the military as a "horror movie." Gur's mother, Maayan, recounted a meeting with Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, stating, "When he told me 'I heard you are leaving the country,' I replied: 'We are not leaving, the country is what gave up on us.'" She expressed her pain, saying, "The children who fell on October 7th and in the war are 'nobody's children.' How can I stay in this country? My children are my whole life. Who speaks for these children we raised, who served and enlisted? I cannot send my children to this education system. When I go shopping, I see the people of Israel, and Gur's blood is smeared on everyone's face."
Gur's father, Ron Kehati, explained their move to Greece, stating, "We are not finding solace here and cannot rebuild our lives here. To rebuild, you need a community, a hug, support, and a vision for the future, and there is none of that."
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