Killed By Israel
I was waiting for the 146 outside Tribune Tower mid-afternoon today. The signboard above the bus shelter indicated that the bus would not arrive for another 11 minutes, so I walked over to one of the large planters in the plaza so that I could read the newspaper without impeding pedestrian traffic.
The New York Times was reporting Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had inadvertently killed three men who had been taken hostage by Hamas on October 7. The article identified Yotam Haim and Alon Shamriz as two of the three, but it did not identify the third. I immediately knew that this was an explosive story that would receive widespread coverage. The Palestinians would surely point to it as evidence that Israel is not taking every precaution necessary to protect non-combatant civilians.
I then looked toward the video board above the bus stop—the 146 would arrive in two minutes, so I walked in the direction of the bus stop. Passing a lamp post, I saw one of the now familiar “Kidnapped” signs affixed to it.
Since October 7, the pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian forces have engaged in non-lethal warfare centered on signage. The pro-Israel forces keep posting the ‘Kidnapped’ signs, and pro-Palestinian forces violently tear them down, leaving bits and pieces still affixed to poles and walls so that everyone knows that the pro-Palestinian forces have had their say. As of late, the pro-Palestinian forces have upped the ante, posting similar signs, but these are captioned “Murdered.” I have yet to see one that has been shredded. Each side deploys different tactics.
I read the name on what was left of this particular sign. “Yotam Haim.” Hadn’t I just seen Haim referenced in the Times article? The bus was in sight, but I had enough time to snap a photo with my iPhone. Once on board, I returned to the Times article. Yep, the ‘Haim’ on the sign one of the three killed by the IDF.
Post Script: I returned to the site at 10:45 AM on Saturday, December 16, 2023 for a labor action staged by Chicago Tribune employees. The sign, now soaking wet with droplets beading, was still taped to the post.
I also had more information about what might be termed a “friendly-fire incident”—actually anything but friendly. The three hostages were waving a white flag and were shirtless when they were shot. Whether accidental or not, the incident now screamed “war crime.”
Israel has already acknowledge that its solders had violated the IDF’s own terms of engagement, clearly contradicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims that Israel is doing everything within its power, often to Israel’s military disadvantage, to protect non-combatants (civilians) in Gaza.
As for the late Yotam Haim, he was a drummer with Persephore, an Israeli metal band apparently taking its name from Persephone, one of Zeus’ and Demeter’s daughters. Persephore was kidnapped by her uncle Hades while picking flowers, forced to live in the underworld after wedding her uncle. While Demeter did rescue Persephore, Hades had cast a spell, so that for part of each year, Persephore had to return to Hades from Mount Olympus. Like Persephore, Haim was taken hostage. Unlike Demeter, the IDF failed to rescue Haim so that he could spend at least part of his year in Israel. He is now relegated to the Greek underworld, or wherever souls from dead bodies go.
[Click on an Image to Enlarge It]
Yotam Haim, Killed By Israeli Defense Forces as He and Two Other Hostages Held a White Flag (I)
Yotam Haim, Killed By Israeli Defense Forces as He and Two Other Hostages Held a White Flag (II)
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