Fallen Israeli Soldier’s Organs Save 6 Lives

Fallen Israeli Soldier’s Organs Save 6 Lives

Staff Sergeant Yehonatan Yitzhak Semo was killed in battle in Gaza, but his organs have been donated to six patients in different hospitals, Israel’s National Transplant Center announced on Sunday.

The 21 year-old Semo, who had signed an organ donor card, served in the Paratroopers Brigade. He was injured in combat in central Gaza on Nov. 10 and taken to the Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah but the doctors weren’t able to save him.

A resident of Karmei Tzur, near Hebron, Semo is survived by four younger siblings, and now six patients whose lives he saved.

“There was no hesitation at all about whether to donate his organs. It was Yonatan. He did everything with a smile, out of understanding, commitment and a desire to help. The fact that a part of him will continue to live and help others, there is nothing more uplifting than that,” the Semo family said.

Semo’s lungs were transplanted into 36 year-old Meir Atsaba, also of Kiryat Gat. The father of two had suffered from lung disease which became life-threatening when he contracted coronavirus.

“I am very grateful to the Samo family for doing the most noble thing in their most painful moment. In the midst of this war and the terrible days, I received a ray of light and air to breathe,” said Atsaba.

Kidnapped — Maya and Itai

Kidnapped — Maya and Itai

“I can’t explain the despair here over the more than 200 hostages held by Hamas.”

Driving south on Israel’s main N/S Highway, you see a large sign hanging over a bridge. It reads: KIDNAPPED—Maya and Itay.

I can’t explain the despair here over the more than 200 hostages held by Hamas. The idea of our people—elderly women and babies are among them—being held by monsters is excruciating day and night.

If not for the hostages, we would no doubt be inside of Gaza, finally destroying Hamas. But they knew our weak spot…I am writing this through tears. They know that we love our people. In fact, we value the corpses of Israelis more than Hamas values living Palestinians. And they know that.

So, they are manipulating us by dangling the possibility of release before us. It’s torture.

I want you to listen to this short interview. Varda was born in Israel before Israel was rebirthed. She is 80 years old. She told us how she felt about the country, which was quite powerful.

We have been humbled. We have been brought to our knees. We were proud and arrogant, and now we’ve been humbled.