Reference :
V-P-IL-E-03261
Date :
18/02/2019
Caption :
Tel-Aviv. This man lost two sons. The first died in a bombing and the second, who could not handle the loss, committed suicide.
Confidentiality level :
public
Publication restrictions :
publication without restrictions
Description :
ICRC web site, article of 28.05.2019: Time does not heal the wound - it teaches you to live with it
Losing someone you love is the worst nightmare every human being dreads. When you lose a loved one to conflict and violence, there is more than pain. There is anger and frustration. There is trying to make sense of a senseless loss, that leaves a gaping hole in your heart for the rest of your life.
For several decades, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been wreaking havoc in people’s lives. Members of the Parents Circle, an Israeli-Palestinian organisation of families, who have lost a family member to the ongoing conflict, share their stories of grief hoping that no other family has to live the horror they have been through.
"I was in the garage when Elad, my younger son, called and said: “Daddy, come home, people from the army are here.” When I entered the apartment, I saw my wife sitting on the floor. My 14-year-old son was trying to make her stand. My son Amir was in the army for only three months when he was killed by a suicide bombing attack.
After Amir died, I would go to visit his grave at the military cemetery. There was an empty lot next to it. I remember I always looked at it, thinking: “Who is the naive one, who doesn’t know this empty lot is waiting for his son.” It turned out to be me.
In 2000 a soldier was killed in Gaza. He was my son Elad’s best friend. They were like brothers. Three weeks later, Elad committed suicide. He left a letter saying he couldn’t suffer anymore. That losing his brother and losing his best friend was more than he could bear. I could not believe this was happening to me. My mind was unable to process it. I just cannot describe the feeling.
Today, as soon as my head touches the pillow, the memories come back. I miss doing things together with them. Playing with them when they were children. This feeling of missing someone can be as deep, as an endless ocean", he explains.
Resolution :
5760x3840
Orientation :
landscape
Colour/B&W :
black and white
