"All the people of Israel are soldiers of Harel": Comrade-in-arms says goodbye to the revered commander who fell in southern Lebanon
Kana Wax, sister of the late Major (res.) Harel Birnstock who fell in Lebanon, and his comrade-in-arms, Zviki Goldberg, spoke about the revered officer who never took a break from service and knew how to lighten any situation.
Major (res.) Harel Birnstock (of blessed memory) fell on Wednesday due to an explosive device in southern Lebanon. Professor Aryeh Eldad and Ron Koffman spoke today, Friday, with his sister, Kana Wax, and his comrade-in-arms, Zviki Goldberg, who described a magnetic commander who preferred the word "privilege" over "burden" and made everyone feel like his best friend.
"When asked if I was a soldier of Harel, I answered that I am still a soldier of Harel, and we will always be soldiers of Harel," Goldberg said with pride. "I hope those who hear these words will seek out his story, because after this terrible week, all the people of Israel are soldiers of Harel. This great figure should accompany us all, and we must learn from the light he left behind. He was a commander who led from the front, and we will continue the path he paved for us as his soldiers forever."
Wax eulogized her older brother: "Harel was a person who connected and attracted. Everywhere he went, he brought energy, a smile, and a sense of fun, knowing how to lighten the atmosphere in any situation. He truly made everyone feel like his best friend, and thousands of friends are coming to our home now to tell us exactly that."
"In the last year, he served hundreds of days in the reserves, and even at home, he was on the phone all day with company matters," Wax shared. "A month ago, we went as a family to Tuscany for my parents' 60th birthday, and even there he was on the phone, planning where his guys would stand guard and how the reserves would be managed. He was supposed to attend a battalion commander course at the end of this round."
His young son, Ziv Israel, was born a year and a half ago. "He received a name that connects to this period. His wife said at the funeral that they would raise him in a happy home filled with dancing. I know it will be both—there will be sadness, but then we will play the songs by Avihu Pinhasov that he loved so much to dance to," the sister added. "He loved to throw the kids into the pool and make funny faces; he doesn't have a single serious photo. Our home has changed, and now we must learn to dance through this complex reality with him."
"Harel didn't like the word 'burden'; he loved the word 'privilege'," Goldberg said. "He always said this is our link in the chain of generations and our opportunity to give love back to this people. Now our role is to tell the world who he was." He promised: "Although the event is still very fresh, we will organize our thoughts and stories to commemorate his combat legacy."
