A member of Parliament representing the Vancouver area has stated that an individual from his constituency was among the casualties during the attack carried out by Hamas militants on Israeli locations on Saturday morning.
On X, which was previously known as Twitter, Taleeb Noormohamed, an MP for Vancouver Granville, stated that Ben Mizrachi was discovered as one of the victims killed by Hamas terrorists.
People who were close to Mizrachi reported him missing after the attacks by Hamas, the militant group that governs the Gaza Strip.
The MP was granted permission by his family in Noormohamed’s constituency to publicly address his death.
After the unexpected attacks on Israel, violence persists in the Middle East as Israel retaliates by launching strikes on Gaza.
Within a span of four days since the outbreak of violence, a total of over 1,800 casualties have been officially documented among both factions.
‘A friend to everyone’
Mizrachi graduated from King David High School in Vancouver in 2018. On Tuesday, the school said on its Facebook page that the 22-year-old was shot and killed while attending a music festival.
The school’s post described Ben as having an immense personality that was in line with his physical stature.
Ben was a person who exuded happiness, constantly wore a smile, and readily offered assistance to others. He was universally regarded as a friend.
Featured VideoAron Csaplaros attended the same high school as Ben Mizrachi and affirms that he was widely recognized and adored within Vancouver’s Jewish community.
The King David High School Facebook post also described how, on a Grade 8 trip to Israel in 2013, Mizrachi recited liturgical prayers at sunrise on top of an ancient fortification on a rock plateau while wearing a Vancouver Canucks jersey.
Mizrachi took pride in his service within the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), the country’s military organization.
Rabbi Jonathan Infeld, from the Beth Israel Synagogue in Vancouver, and a neighbor of the Mizrachi family, informed CBC News’ As It Happens that the family was notified that their deceased family member had utilized his medical training from the IDF to provide aid to injured individuals at the music festival.
As It Happens6:46The rabbi states that the death of a man from British Columbia in Israel has had a devastating impact on Vancouver’s Jewish community.
Featured VideoAccording to a local MP, Ben Mizrachi, a resident of Vancouver, was one of the casualties in the attack carried out by Hamas militants in Israel on Saturday. Jonathan Infeld, who is a rabbi and lives near the Mizrachi family, shares with As It Happens host Nil Köksal that the loss of this young man has deeply affected the Jewish community in Vancouver.
Mizrachi is the the second Canadian confirmed dead in the conflict, with three others known to be missing. The other confirmed fatality is a 33-year-old Montreal man who was killed in the Hamas attack on the same music festival Mizrachi was attending.
B.C. Premier David Eby also confirmed Mizrachi’s killing at an unrelated news conference on Wednesday, calling his death a tragedy and the war in Israel and the Palestinian territories “disturbing.”
He expressed his desire to convey a message of solidarity to Mr. Mizrachi’s loved ones and acquaintances, affirming our support for them and for Israel in light of these dreadful assaults.
‘I can’t imagine the terror’
“I can’t imagine the terror he went through,” said Aron Csaplaros, who has known Mizrachi since the two were teens. “He was just there at a music festival as an innocent human being, trying to enjoy life.”
Csaplaros, who is a regional director with B’Nai Brith Canada, an independent Jewish human rights organization, said he had not seen Mizrachi in person recently as Mizrachi had been in Israel for a lengthy period.
Heartbreaking news: <br><br>A wonderful young man from my riding of <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/VanGran?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#VanGran</a> – Ben Mizrachi – was found amongst those murdered by Hamas terrorists. <br><br>My heartfelt condolences and prayers are with his family, his friends, loved ones & the community. <br><br>May his memory be a blessing.
—@Taleeb
Csaplaros said Mizrachi played on the basketball team in high school and was always smiling and laughing. He has three siblings and his parents are active members of Vancouver’s Jewish community, Csaplaros said.
“He expressed that it is an immense tragedy for the Jewish community in Vancouver. The community is closely connected, making the loss all the more distressing and deeply felt.”
Ezra Shanken, the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, mentioned that Mizrachi’s family traveled to Israel after their son was declared missing. Upon arrival, they were informed that Mizrachi was among the individuals who lost their lives.
Shanken expressed feeling emotionally detached upon learning of the young man’s passing.
Shanken expressed that he is on the verge of tears, and if someone were to nudge him even slightly, he would start crying. He described the current situation as a tragic time for their community.
He mentioned that Mizrachi was soon going to commence his studies at a university in Israel, following his service in the defense forces of the country.
Officials with King David High School said a funeral would be held for Mizrachi at Kvutzat Yavne, a kibbutz in lsrael, on Wednesday.
Source: cbc.ca
