An open letter to our fellow citizens, to our children, grandchildren and great‑grandchildren, and to Rotem, Shaked and Shir Matias, whose mother, Shachar Deborah Troen Mathias and father Shlomi David Mathias were murdered in their “safe room” at Kibbutz Holit while protecting Rotem.

In the early morning of October 7, 2023, Rotem was sixteen-and-a-half. Deborah told him to lie down in the narrow space between the bed frame and the wall and she lay on top of him while Shlomi held a mattress against the door, desperate to keep the terrorists at bay. Automatic fire, a grenade and gun fire overcame him. Rotem, who was shot through his mother’s body, felt her death tremors and heard his father scream that his arm had been blown off. He was alone and only evacuated to Soroka Hospital some ten hours later. Shir, then 21, and Shaked, 19, hid alone, each in her safe room in the young people’s section. Deborah had called to warn them to lock their doors. They heard the horror—shots, cries and explosions—and at 8:01 received a WhatsApp from Rotem: “Mom and Dad are dead. Sorry.” He was wounded. Then contact was lost. They were not evacuated until after eight.

We are writing 1000 days after October 7. It’s not a simple story and it isn’t over. Carol / Raxel and Selwyn/ Ilan Troen, parents of a large bereaved family.

We want to thank you, Shir, for your intense activity and efforts to remind Israel’s citizens and our government that what happened on October 7, more than 1000 days ago, was no mere “unfortunate event”. Your frequent interviews in the media and your sharp, clear, painful words—important, urgent, and heart‑rending—explain why an independent state commission of inquiry is essential to our national defense and security and crucial to rebuilding trust. We’re very proud of you. We wish we could tell Mom and Dad face to face........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)