Last week’s return of the corpses of the suicide murderers doubtless will lead to a repeat of the aftershock experienced by those bereaved and maimed through the heinous crimes of these terrorists.

Every day in the lives of thousands of Israel’s terror victims, OneFamily’s consistent presence and input matters. Each week issues emerge on the national and international stage that exemplify OneFamily’s enduring relevance.

Last week the Israeli media featured yet another issue which demonstrates the importance of OneFamily’s unending behind-the-scenes work, and which puts into stark relief the permanent scarring and pain that is the overriding factor in the lives of so many of Israel’s terror victims.

As the JPost Editorial commented:

“In another surreal development on our scene, Israel delivered 91 corpses of Arab terrorists to the Palestinian Authority on Thursday. This was part of a “confidence- building” measure …geared to encourage Abbas to return to negotiations.

“In fact, however, it was another sequel to the Gilad Schalit swap saga. …

“Netanyahu’s overture – a consolation prize offered Abbas for the ransom price of a thousand live terrorist convicts paid to Hamas – occasioned another example of the PA’s lurid adulation of those who set out to inflict as many casualties on Jews as they could. The PA held a “national rally” in Ramallah’s Mukata presidential compound to pay tribute to the “martyred heroes.” Their deeds best attest to the nature of their “heroism.”

“Among the perpetrators of more recent – significantly post-Oslo – atrocities, whose remains were handed over to Abbas, are …the suicide bombers who blew themselves up on the No. 2 bus in Jerusalem’s Shmuel Hanavi neighborhood in August 2003 and at Cafe Hillel in the city’s German Colony neighborhood one month afterward; Hiba Daraghmeh, who blew herself up at an Afula mall in 2003; Nasim Ja’bari and Ahmed Qawassmeh, who detonated two buses in Beersheba in 2004; Hassan Abu Said, the Islamic Jihad terrorist who blew himself up in Hadera’s open-air market in 2005; and Abdullah Badran, who attacked Tel Aviv’s Stage nightclub also in 2005.

“…The eerie propaganda spectacle mounted by the PA over the killers’ corpses raises many troubling questions.”

In October 2011, and the murderers of many victims of terror were freed in exchange for Gilad Shalit , and were sent home to enjoy the bounty and accolade that their “heroism” and “martyrdom” had earned them.

Last week’s return of the corpses of the suicide murderers doubtless will lead to a repeat of the aftershock experienced by those bereaved and maimed through the heinous crimes of these terrorists.

Shortly after the Gilad Shalit swap, one family reported: “It’s like our son was murdered all over again.”

Sarah Kahane’s son, Nir Kahane, was 20 years old in 2005. In his last moments, he was standing guard at a check point in Kalandiya when Yussuf Dhib Hamed Abu Aadi fatally shot him in the neck in a drive-by killing. Yussuf was caught and convicted, and set to serve a life sentance, but was released from jail in exchange for Gilad Shalit after serving only 2 ½ years for Nir’s murder.

Sarah explained: “Gilad Shalit has come home! Nir’s murderer has been released… my son is not coming home… He is buried in the ground…”

“Nir’s yahrzeit is in a few weeks. This will be the most difficult yahrzeit of all because his killer is free. Our son can never come back.”

She is terrified of driving. Sarah lives in the northern community of KiryatTivon, and travels by bus 1 ½ each way to the monthly meeting of her OneFamily bereaved parent’s group in Haifa, in order to talk and to share.

“OneFamily understands me better than anyone else. OneFamily gives me oxygen for the rest of the month or until the next meeting. I cannot find this anywhere else.

I put on a mask every day of my life, to show the world that I am okay – when I am with OneFamily I do not have to wear a mask. I can tell them everything that I am feeling – and in return, get the advice I need to help me to cope and to move on.”

Doubtless, this coming week, One Family’s team of case workers will be coping with a significantly increased workload as they strive to sooth the re-opened wounds and the intensified sense of injustice and helplessness being re-experienced by many of our victims.

OneFamily will continue to pick up the pieces as individuals and families fall apart yet again. If you would like to email us your message of solidarity with the families who they left behind and who will be grieving so deeply right now, please email me and I will ensure that it is passed on today.