Wife of Egyptian Terror Victim Dies After Three Years of Grief

Mor Shemly, whose husband Alon Shemly was killed before her eyes in a terrorist attack in Egypt on October 8, 2023, has died on October 30, after more than three years of profound suffering. Her parents, Ilan and Shoshi Cohen, stated, "We cannot comprehend what has happened and ask that our privacy be respected. After the tragedy in Egypt and the trauma she experienced, she was a living dead person. Her husband was murdered next to her, and she could never recover. Her soul was killed there in Egypt, and today she simply passed away prematurely." They added, "Mor died with Alon in Egypt. She continued to live, but could not bear the pain and loss of her beloved husband. She had no desire to live. She was simply a living dead person until today, when she was gone."

In January, Mor had informed her Instagram followers of her intention to end her life through assisted suicide in Switzerland. This led to a wave of mistaken rumors that the procedure had already taken place and she had died. In Instagram stories published at the time, Mor explained her difficult decision and described the feelings that had accompanied her since the day her husband was murdered in front of her, just 24 hours after the massacre in communities near the Gaza Strip. "The pain is unbearable. You cannot imagine how many tears the heart and eyes can produce," she wrote in January. "I am not living, but I am not completely dead either. I just exist, as if floating above life. I am here, but I am not here. My life ended there in Egypt on October 8, 2023, when we were killed. The bullet that hit Alon's heart also hit mine."

According to her, the suffering did not end at the moment of the shot but only began. She confessed, "My pain did not end with the shot. It began with it and continued for another two years. All this time I tried to achieve at least minimal justice, but I did not succeed. Our state did not cope with this. The only thing I hope we managed to achieve, even a little, is to tell people about you, to give you the deserved honors. You touched so many lives during your life, and now after your death. You will not be forgotten because you were and remain a true angel from whom everyone has something to learn. Forgive us if we did anything too ostentatious, because your whole essence was the embodiment of modesty. But every event in your memory and every initiative of ours was connected with the values you embodied: care for the environment, people, sports, and kindness."

Mor also addressed her loved ones, asked for their forgiveness, and thanked them for their love and support. She detailed the reasons for her decision: "Forgive me all for being not myself for these two years. Thank you to my wonderful family and Alon's family for always being there, supporting and loving me, even when I pushed you away. I was fortunate to have the most amazing parents. I owe all my achievements to you. Thank you to my beloved sisters Shaked and Agam. Thank you to Alon's family, who always made me feel like a daughter and sister. Thank you for giving the world Alon and raising him as he was. Thanks to you, I had a husband and friend, better than whom cannot even be imagined. Forgive me for causing you pain, for my suffering passing on to you. There are no words to express how sorry I am. I wish you could understand and forgive. I wish for you that every day of your life is like our life together with Alon was, filled with love and happiness. Forgive me, other relatives and friends. Forgive me for not being able to say goodbye properly. Thank you for everything you have done for me. Please try to remember me as I was before that terrible day. And do not hold grudges in your heart. Now I am not suffering. Now I am happy and have found peace. Thank you for 32 wonderful years (34 minus 2), during which I managed to fulfill all my dreams. I managed everything." Mor concluded her address with a quote from Frank Sinatra's song: "I did it my way."

In social media posts where Mor shared the pain and sadness that never left her, she indicated her age as "34-2," subtracting two years and three months that had passed since the murder of her beloved Alon, with whom she had traveled to many countries around the world. After her husband's murder, Mor suffered from severe emotional pain and a difficult psychological state. Alon Shemly was a physical education teacher and coached the youth team "Hapoel Tel Aviv." He was killed along with Amnon Betzalel and Hagai Efrat by an Egyptian police officer who opened fire from his personal weapon during an organized tour in Alexandria. The terrorist attack occurred just one day after the October 7 massacre, when the tourist group was near Pompey's Pillar, an ancient Roman monument considered one of the most famous landmarks in Alexandria, Egypt's second-largest city.

Mor's uncle, Nahum Israeli, wrote today, "You have been gone for three years. You knew no peace, were not truly present in our lives, were not yourself. Now you are at peace. You died back then, three years ago! When that bullet pierced your beloved Alon's heart, it pierced yours too. But now you are at peace. Three years ago, a huge crack formed in each of our hearts, and now it has become even larger, wider, and deeper. But at least now you are at peace. We are left here to lick our wounds, pick up the pieces, and continue living. And how we want to believe that now you are at least at peace. Give us a sign so we know: are you at peace now? Mor Shemly, my beloved niece."

The football club "Hapoel Tel Aviv" also issued a statement in memory of Mor: "Mor's life was turned upside down in an instant on October 8, 2023, when she was traveling in Egypt with her husband Alon, who worked as a coach in our club's youth department and was killed during a monstrous terrorist attack. Since then, every Friday at noon, Mor and family members would come to the stands of the Chodorov Sports Complex to watch matches of the youth team "Hapoel Shavim," named in honor of Alon and supported by the Shemly family. For every game and training session, the young footballers would come out in red jerseys with Alon's portrait."

The club added, "Mor supported 'Hapoel' from the stands, came in a red jersey and with a flag in memory of Alon, showing boundless devotion and love. Mor, we will love you forever. We promise to always remember you and Alon. May her memory be blessed."