Father of Fallen Soldier Verbally Attacked Outside Polling Station

By אור רביד

Translated & summarized from N12 by baba

CenterNeutral tone

Hebrew · 3 newsrooms covering

Ruvy Chen, father of fallen soldier Itay Chen, was verbally attacked outside a polling station in Netanya while campaigning for votes in memory of fallen soldiers. Chen and other bereaved families had earlier called for unity and a state commission of inquiry at Hostages Square. Despite the incident, Chen reported receiving significant support from most voters.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Ruvy Chen, father of fallen soldier Itay Chen, was verbally attacked outside a Netanya polling station.
The attacker reportedly called Chen a "traitor" and cursed at him.
Chen was campaigning with his son's photo, urging votes in memory of fallen soldiers.
He and other bereaved families had previously called for unity and a state inquiry.
Chen stated that most voters offered him support and encouragement.

Father of Fallen Soldier Verbally Attacked Outside Polling Station — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

Ruvy Chen, the father of fallen soldier Itay Chen, who was killed on October 7 and held captive in Gaza, was verbally assaulted outside a polling station in Netanya on Tuesday. Chen arrived at the polling station carrying a sign with his son's picture, urging the public to vote in memory of fallen soldiers. During his time there, an individual approached him, cursed at him, and called him a "traitor." Chen, who was not acquainted with the man, expressed his pain, stating, "They call me a traitor." He added, "Let him go to the traitors in Qatar, let him go there."

Chen began his election day at 6:30 AM in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv with other bereaved families. They held a press conference calling on the public to vote with the fallen and national responsibility in mind. "We have been waiting for this morning for three years, a thousand days," Chen said, explaining that they asked the public to vote "for the values of unity and for a state commission of inquiry."

Despite the difficult incident, Chen emphasized that most reactions he received outside the polling station were supportive, with many people stopping to offer hugs. He continued to appeal to voters, asking them to remember his son and other fallen soldiers when casting their ballots, saying, "When you put in a ballot, think of Itay."

Itay Chen, a 19-year-old tank crewman in the 77th Armored Brigade, fell in battle on October 7, 2023. He was abducted to the Gaza Strip and his body was returned to Israel after more than two years. His parents, Ruvy and Hagit, are campaigning for a state commission of inquiry into the failures that led to the disaster.