PIC2024 Keynote - Shalom Sheetrit, IDF Soldier Injured in Gaza on Oct 7th

sh my name is Shalom I am 20 years old and was born in aula a city in the North of Israel I grew up in a traditional Jewish Family where we observed Tora and mitv when I was 18 I joined the IDF as a combat soldier in the Golani Brigade in a battalion which is known in Hebrew asud besides my duty to serve in the Army I was honored to serve not only to protect the land of Israel and the people who live in it but in way to serve on behalf of all Jewish communities around the world I was stationed on the on the southern border of Israel just 200 Metter from the Gaza fence in a military base called M ber in Hebrew it in sorry in Hebrew it means the Protectors of kibuts B needless to say that none of us had any idea idea how fosberry was going to become just a short time later on the morning of October 7 the Shabbat of sim there were 25 soldiers in the base I was on patrol outside I had no idea that the next few minutes were going to change my life the lives of the people of Israel and the life of every Jew wherever is at 6: and 10: a.m. I received an about the possibility of a terrorist attack in into Israel suddenly a massive roet B began as soldiers in in a combat unit my team and I quickly man our combat positions at this exact moment one of my commanders reported seeing a terrorist few seconds later I had two terrorists right in front of my face I managed to kill them both but not before one of them managed to shoot my right leg thank you as I lay in my own blood I realized that I must not remain in the same place because I would get shot I needed to get help quickly I tried to move towards to Barak my commander Tom and sagiv a soldier who was right next to him in that moment a grenade was thrown right at them it exploded and Tom was killed I fell on the floor sagiv and I both badly injured called towards the arud vehicle for shelter there was nowhere to hide from those monsters all this time I was bleeding nonstop but I could not make any move otherwise I would I would get shot on the spot I had shouts in Arabic and shots everywhere the terrorist started shooting RPGs and throwing more grenades in my heart I started saying my goodbyes meanwhile sagiv killed all the two terrorists who approached us we were finally able to go out and somehow managed to reach a military radio I requested I requested assistance and then fell uncon unconscious when the evacuation team arrived it had been 5 hours since the moment of my injury I was taken to the nearest hospital where I spent he days between life and death it was only two weeks after woke up I realized the scope of the tragedy I realized that 1,00 and2 200 of my brothers and sisters lost their life among them 14 for my own unit hundreds of hostages taken and of course the fact that I will have to live the rest of my life with one leg after a few weeks I was transferred to rehabilitation in shba hospital where I am to this day but all of this my friends is not the important part part of my story since the day of the attack and the day that I was injured my world and your world has changed we the Jewish people are no longer the same it was not that long ago that the Jewish people in Israel and to a large extent Jews all over the world viewed each other as different beings whether politically religiously or they dress where they live or what type of education they had we were a split Nation but that changed it is unfortunate how it changed but it changed today look around the Jewish people you see people dancing together with konim whom they don't even know you see non-religious people helping religious people and videos of Jewish Americans coming all the way to Israel to support to volunteer and simply give of themselves it is truly amazing this experience taught me something very really really powerful we will always be chased by our enemies we have always been attacked by them since the day of mhu and it is not going to stop that we probably can't change what we can change is to stop searching for reasons to fight with each other and to stop being each other's enemies and to acknowledge the lesson we received on October 7 we are all one we are all brothers and sisters my friends we were sitting here for entire Shabbat and all we hear is about Jews reaching out to each other connecting with Jews who are totally different from them even those who they might have been afraid to reach how to before they do so because they love each other and because we are all family and family is all we have in this world therefore despite all all the pain that I endured no matter how scary it was to be an inch from Death I am honored to give of myself and to sacrifice my right leg for the sake of unity among the Jewish people thank you thank you thank you [Applause] thank you this Unity is the best gift that any soldier who is fighting the fight on the front lines of Earth Israel can receive any other gift would just be superficial the most sincere gift the wait the most sincere gift you can give us while we protect the lives of am Israel is to protect the unity friendship and love between us because we are all one when Yi told me what project inspired us I knew that as difficult as it was for me to get on a plane and to leave the r it is worth speaking to you so my parting message to you tonight is that you should not look at us in Israel and feel bad or sorry for any of us it is our mission and it is our duty to stand and protect the Jewish people but October 7 was not the first wakeup call in our history yeah yet sadly shortly after we fall asleep again we cannot let this opportunity go by we must not forget my message is if you are looking for a way to Express gratitude to any of us who are fighting this war AG your Jewish brothers and sisters give them a hand connect with them and remember that we are all one thank you [Applause] you are ready to dance I'm [Music] is hey let's go [Music] everybody i s me [Applause] I'm [Music] oh [Music] is [Music] for h [Music] h ladies and gentlemen thank you so much for joining us malava Mal is being served in the lobby a