Oded Lifshitz, kibbutz Nir Oz, and the dream of peace and coexistence 'broken' by Hamas
The bodies of four hostages have returned to Israel, including the two youngest victims (the Bibas brothers) and that of Oded Lifshitz, a veteran journalist and pacifist. For his son, getting the release of all the hostages is crucial, since the work "is not yet done”. Volunteers have tended the garden of the Lifshitz home so that it remains a symbol of hope and dialogue.
Jerusalem (AsiaNews) – The Israeli government has made the "right" choice by implementing the hostage agreement with Hamas, but "the work is not yet done,” said Yizhar Lifshitz, son of Oded Lifshitz, a veteran and peace activist, one of the four dead hostages the extremist groups in control of Gaza handed over to Israel today.
This exchange is far grimmer than previous ones, which saw the release of hostages still alive, although many in poor health, tried by prolonged captivity.
Four coffins rather than emaciated faces or smiles marked by pain were brought to Israel, including those of two brothers, Kfir and Ariel, nine months and four years old at the time of the kidnapping, the two youngest victims of 7 October.
In an interview with 103 FM, a few hours after the four dead hostages were brought home, killed by Israeli raids according to Hamas, Yizhar remembered his father, emphasising his long militancy in favour of peace and Israeli-Palestinian dialogue.
His journey was abruptly interrupted rather than ended. A journalist and activist, 84-year-old Oded was one of Kibbutz Nir Oz’s founders, his home stood not far from the fence that separates the settlement from no man's land, then the border with Gaza; it is in Nir Oz that he will be buried after 503 days of uncertainty and hopes amid fears.
Oded Lifshitz was abducted on 7 October together with his 76-year-old wife, Yocheved. Five Hamas operatives broke into the safe room where the couple was sheltering. Shot in the hand, he lost consciousness, while Yocheved was pulled from her bed.
It was later revealed that Oded was initially held in an apartment in Khan Yunis, but after 20 days in captivity, when his health deteriorated, his whereabouts became unknown.
Yocheved was freed about two weeks after her kidnapping along with Nurit Cooper, whose husband Amiram Cooper was killed while in Hamas captivity.
In addition to being remembered for his work as a journalist, Oded was a leading figure in the kibbutz movement and a peace activist, who also volunteered for the NGO "Road to Recovery," which carries sick Palestinian children to hospitals in Israel for specialised care.
In their yard at Nir Oz, Oded, and Yocheved nurtured a magnificent cactus garden, which remained abandoned after their abduction. Dozens of volunteers came together to rehabilitate the garden as a symbol of solidarity and hope for his return.
Overall, some 69 hostages are still held in Gaza, including three men held for almost a decade, although one is believed to be dead.
Police have released a video of the convoy, bound for Tel Aviv, carrying the coffins of the hostages where they will undergo forensic procedures for identification purposes.
Meanwhile, Hostages and Missing Families Forum has called for a rally in Tel Avis’s main square this evening, to remember those who “were taken alive and returned to us deceased”.
Dozens of Israelis gathered in the south, along the convoy’s planned route, with people waving yellow flags in solidarity with the abductees.
“My father became a public figure, judging by the sheer number of people who prayed for him, wished him well, and spoke about him in the media and in our personal lives," Yizhar said.
“He supported the Oslo Accords because he believed it was the only way to prevent a major war. He foresaw the future in many ways. Even today, when we discuss solutions, it is disheartening to realize that we went through this entire cycle and still failed to resolve the issue. We left it simmering, and look where we are now.”
Oded’s story is like that of another leading pacifist figure, Israeli-Canadian activist Vivian Silver, also killed in the attack that triggered Israel's war in Gaza with its burden of deaths and further violence.
Her son Yonatan Zeige took up her legacy to overcome the madness of war and the primordial logic of revenge. To this end, he established an award, among other things, inspired by his mother's ten-year work, the "Vivian Silver Impact Award” given every year to an Arab and Jewish woman who fights for peace and coexistence.
In a recent interview with AsiaNews, Yonatan stressed the importance of the truce, while noting that “new leaders” are needed to achieve true peace and coexistence.
Shot in the hand, “My father was alone, beaten, and terrified,” Yizhar Lifshitz said.
After more than 500 days of captivity, “My father will be brought in the procession with the Bibas family, and they will give him the respect he deserves. He will return to Kibbutz Nir Oz. The Lifshitz family will find closure on a personal level, but the broader circle of Nir Oz remains open,” he said.
“The Bibas family and my father are tragic cases, but many others have returned from suffering and are now with their families,” Yizhar explained.
As Oded himself would have wished with his long militancy for peace and dialogue, now it is time to hope that all the hostages can return home and new avenues of dialogue open to heal a deep wound, which continues to bleed but will somehow have to heal.
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15/07/2005
15/01/2024 19:24
