Rabbi Doron Peretz, the Chairman of the World Mizrachi Movement, married off his oldest son, Yonatan, while another son, Daniel, is still considered missing since the war against Hamas broke out on October 7th. Rabbi Peretz spoke with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News about the feelings that he and his family are feeling.
Rabbi Peretz explains that his son, a tank commander, was classified as missing in action after his name did not appear on the list of the fallen, was not among the wounded, nor was he seen in any footage being kidnapped. "Daniel and his team were positioned in Nachal Oz that Saturday. We know that his tank was involved; it was a base that was overrun by Hamas, and many infantry were killed. He and his crew managed to enter the tank, and a number of other tanks were involved in tank battles," he explained. Days later, Daniel's tank was found with one body in it, which did not belong to Daniel. The tank was hit by an RPG.
"We are hoping that he was only lightly wounded, and wherever he is, he's well and strong along with his crew", Rabbi Peretz says.
When the attack started, Rabbi Peretz's son, Yonatan, who is a company commander in the Paratroopers Brigade, was with his then-fiancee, Galia, and his family. When his battalion commander sent out a call for anyone who could come to Sderot, he left immediately. For the next six hours, Yonatan fought in gun battles against terrorists in various locations near the Gaza border. During the battle, he was shot in the leg, miraculously, the bullet did not leave significant damage. This Tuesday, Yonatan married Galia.
Rabbi Peretz explains what gave him the strength to go through with the planned wedding despite the circumstances. "If you would have told me that this is a scenario we, or any family, would have to deal with, and can deal with in a so to speak normal way, I wouldn't have believed it, but we were somehow able to do it. I think for me, the thing that gave me the strength to do it was the fact that Yonatan himself fought in the battles on the border and himself could have been killed, time and time again, and the fact that he was only wounded lightly, is an unbelievable miracle."
He added: "The fact that Yonatan could be hopping on one leg at his wedding, in that state, was an unbelievable miracle, so that's something we're incredibly grateful for."
Rabbi Peretz spoke about his personal feelings about the wedding: "When I reflect on it, I think we are an unbelievable people. The people who may have suffered more than anyone else. Perhaps, as a people who, even in the horrendous suffering in Egypt, the sages tell us how Yoheved and Amram brought children and Moses was born. We know that during the Holocaust, there were heroic stories of people who had children, and therefore, we come from a family of Jewish people who have faced much bigger things than our family is facing. We move on; we believe in life, I think our people believe in life more than anyone else on earth."