Nehorai Barazani, a 33-year-old IDF combat reservist from Jerusalem, was found dead in his home on Thursday. His family stresses that he did not commit suicide and that he died of heart failure.
His younger sister, Orian, recounted that after the October 7th Massacre, her brother only served a few days in the reserves since "he understood that he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder." This being said, she stresses that "despite the rumors, he did not end his own life. It was heart failure. His heart couldn't stand it."
Barazani was born and raised in Jerusalem and was an alumnus of the Givat Gonen high school. He was close friends with Nova Festival survivor Roei Shalev, who committed suicide two years after the massacre.
In an interview with Ynet, Orian described her brother as a sensitive person with substantial aspirations and a deep desire to help others. She shared: "Nehorai didn't leave a letter or other signs of parting. There are a lot of rumors, and we need to say that he didn't commit suicide. The police also did not suspect for a second that he committed suicide. It was heart failure, and that's also what was determined.
Orian said that her brother would keep clothing in his car and distribute it to the needy. "People are coming and telling us: 'He gave us food for Shabbat,' 'He saved my life." He had a good heart." Barazani would not speak much about his military service. "For many years, he refused to talk and open up about what he went through. He would always say, 'Duvdevan Unit soldiers don't cry.' I must note that he suffered from PTSD, but he wanted to live. He wanted to show the other soldiers that if they were in his situation, they should not commit suicide."
Nehorai's family received the news on Thursday afternoon. His sister believes that treatment could have helped him: "I know that he would want to tell other soldiers to seek help if needed. For him, it is too late; he had too much baggage. There is nothing more painful than the fact that everything suddenly stopped for a person who had aspirations and dreams."