Against the background of the IDF Chief of Staff's decision to remove two officers of the Nahal Brigade who accidentally killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, Iris Haim, mother of hostage Yotam Haim, sent a letter to IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi on Tuesday calling for a change in his decision.
Haim wrote on her Facebook account portions of what she had sent in the letter: "I am writing about your decision from the last few days regarding the dismissal of two IDF officers following an apparently wrong decision they made. I say in advance that this letter does not challenge your professional decision, and I am sure that you have examined the case very carefully. I write from the emotions of my heart and from what the decision makes me feel, as Yotam's mother."
Haim did not blame the soldiers
"On December 15, 2023, my son, the late Yotam, along with two fellow hostages, was accidentally shot and killed due to a mistake by the army, a terrible mistake that damaged the morale of the entire people of Israel. My family, the Haim family came out with a call to not blame the soldiers, neither the direct commander nor anyone in the senior ranks, we also issued a reinforcing message that the fighting must continue because that is our goal, that's the only way we can win," she wrote.
"We did not seek to dismiss anyone with the understanding that we are in a state of war and friendly fire is, to our sorrow and pain, part of the war, and even today, this is not what I am asking for. In those days and even now, there was no call from the army for the dismissal of any soldier who participated in the incident with Yotam his fellow hostages, and again I emphasize, this is not what I am asking for. I'm not calling for a dismissal."
"And here, foreign citizens are accidentally killed by IDF forces, the world is alarmed, one of the representatives protesting against the army is the Prime Minister of Poland. Yotam, my son, also had Polish citizenship. It is interesting that the Polish citizen named Yotam Haim was not really interesting to the Prime Minister in Poland. We haven't heard from him that he shares in our sorrow, a kidnapped Polish citizen who was killed. He probably didn't contact you to denounce the killing, right?"
Haim said, "Is the blood of my son less important than the blood of citizens of a foreign country? That's what your decision implies for me. We, the family of a kidnapped citizen, support our soldiers, support our army and the commanders despite our terrible pain, because we have a responsibility because we believe that the soldiers do everything to protect us and that terrible things happen during war."
"And you? Do you back up your commanders, back up your soldiers? For me, as I see this message, before you shoot, think a few times because you might target a foreign citizen. Our citizens can be killed, even the soldiers. How can we continue to live here with this message?"
"How do you think I feel now? Me and my family? We want to continue to believe that our army is motivated by valued decisions, which take care of the country and the hostages and not the interests of the antisemitic countries around us."
"I conclude my appeal to you with a request to change the message conveyed to the people of Israel and the nations of the world: that our soldiers and citizens are worth less. And to change the decision: return the officers to their places, strengthen the army, strengthen our respect for the army and the whole world for our strength. Don't weaken the army and us. During the war, mistakes happen, the prices we pay are already too heavy to bear, and this price is unnecessary," concluded the statement by the parents of the late Yotam Haim, Iris, and Raviv.