I am proud of our people. It seems it is always pride and pain.
This morning, sitting with my wonderful nephews for breakfast, soldiers, my nephew Arie, designer of the IKI logo, asks me if I heard the news.
That is never good!
Arie, as an Israeli, is addicted to news. We do not listen to the TV or radio or use the internet on our religious holidays but as soon as the holiday was over last night Arie turned on the news and he heard. I had not.
A family driving to the the parents/in-laws to celebrate the Seder, the Passover holiday, was shot. An Arab terrorist opened fire with an automatic weapon at Israeli cars driving on Route 35. A number of vehicles where hit.
Arie tells me that the wife had the calm military ability to react perfectly. Though she was hit as well she managed to move her husband and gain control of the vehicle. Otherwise the vehicle would have crashed and the results would have been worse.
The husband, Arie tells me, served for 25 years with the IDF in many important positions and later in Israeli police force.
"What happened to the husband?" I ask, "He is dead", Arie tells me. Arie has the direct military style of speech.
The holiday spirit is ruined. The war is never over. Peace talks! I don't want to talk!
It never ends. Another family destroyed.
I catch a bit of news. The man, Baruch Mizrahi of blessed memory, saw it coming. He said 'we are being fired upon', he took as a soldier. He shouted "Terrorists, we are being fired upon!" and stepped on the gas.
He was hit and died. His wife, sitting next to him, did not become hysterical, she too is a warrior, we are a Nation of Warriors. She moved his leg, she took the wheel.
She saved the lives of her children sitting in the back seat. She took two bullets. The terrorist kept firing, his goal was to kill the entire family. She realized that if she does not take control that will all be certainly dead.
She calmly gained control of the vehicle and dialed for help.
That night all of Israel read the Passover Hagadah, as we have done this night for thousands of years. We all read the passage, "In every generation there arises a group that wishes to destroy us...."
And so it is true. In every generation there is someone trying to destroy the nation of Israel, but we survive.
And for the rest of their lives these children will remember that on Passover eve, instead of sitting around the table with their parents and grandparents, instead of celebrating the holiday of freedom they were subjected to hatred. They will remember that on Passover eve their brave father was shot dead by an Arab terrorist. They will remember that their brave mother saved them after taking two bullets herself.
They will grow up to be warriors. And our proud tradition will continue.