In this episode of the podcast, I sit down to interview Iris Haim, mother of Yotam Haim Z"L, who was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7th, 2023, and killed by IDF soldiers on December 15th, 2023, as the result of a horrific operational miscalculation.
On October 7th, 2023, during the murderous massacre against Israel launched by Hamas, Iris's son, Yotam, was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, a community located adjacent to the Gaza Strip.
He was 28 years old.
From that point onward, Yotam was held in captivity by Hamas and Iris dedicated herself to campaigning for his release and for the release of all of the hostages, taking her message to parliaments, governments and audiences throughout the English speaking world - from Australia to the United Kingdom.
Uniquely, Iris also became a leading Israeli voice on the subject of unity, love and support for the Israeli government and the soldiers of the IDF at this time.
Rapidly rising to become an opinion leader and a symbol of hope domestically, Iris refused to countenance any calls for division or for internecine fighting within the Jewish state; all the while, Yotam, her son, remained in captivity.
On December 7th, 2023, Yotam, together with two other hostages, emerged from where they were being held inside Gaza. Tragically, all three of the hostages were fired upon and killed by members of the Israel Defense Forces, who were operating inside the Gaza Strip.
Incredibly, upon learning about this awful series of events, Iris sent a voice note to the soldiers who had killed her son, telling them that she loved them, supported them, and that she and her family invited them to visit her home. Those soldiers did so, and they informed Iris that they had ceased functioning as a result of the tragic miscalculation, but that having received her words and visited with her, they were able to begin returning to service.
In this episode of the podcast, I ask Iris about Yotam of blessed memory, about her dedication to Israel's soldiers and society and about her plans for the future.
I believe Iris's message to be perhaps the most vital of any I've ever received, and I encourage you to share it with your entire network - far and wide, so that others might benefit from her words and support her in her mission.
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