Kleinbaum concluded with an excerpt from a eulogy delivered at the funeral of peace activist Vivian Silver by one of her Palestinian colleagues:
"Do not despair. Carry the light. We did not give in. We laid a foundation for Jewish and Palestinian humanity across this terribly broken world."
Photos: Marcia G. Yerman
SIDEBAR: Zahiro Shahar Mor
After the demonstration concluded, I was introduced to Zahiro Shahar Mor. Rather than sitting in the intermittent rain, I suggested getting a coffee. At the time, I hadn't connected the dots between his specific family members and the news stories that had filtered into American media. I knew he was an outspoken activist, but the extent would become clearer when I read about his arrest during Netanyahu's "speech" to members of Congress. Mor was seated as a guest in the visitor's gallery when he was escorted out in response to his vocalizations and then arrested by the Capitol Police.
I knew that he was a core member of the families of hostages who had been demonstrating regularly in front of Begin Gate (The location in Tel Aviv of the IDF HaKirya military headquarters.) Mor was also an early participant in the protests against the judicial coup.
Mor lost his cousin, Roi Munders, in the October 7 attacks on Nir Oz. His uncle, Avraham Munder, was one of the bodies retrieved from a Hamas underground tunnel. He recounted how, upon the return of his uncle's body, Avraham was buried with his son.
I learned details about his family of origin (from Poland and Moldavia), life in Tel Aviv, and the role he has taken in the activist struggle. Mor left the Israeli army in 1997 after over two decades of service, with the rank of Army Captain, and vowed not to serve again.
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