Father surprises son serving in the IDF after 20 days apart
Shimon Elbaz has not seen his son Ofir for 20 days, as Ofir serves in the 13th Battalion of the Golani Brigade and has been deployed without a break for the past three weeks. Just before entering the depths of Gaza, his father decided to surprise him.
The location of the meeting has not been disclosed, but Shimon certainly made great efforts to succeed and reach his son, who knew nothing about the surprise.
“Ofir was very moved, he didn’t stop crying afterwards,” his brother Ron tells N12. “Father didn’t stay with Ofir for long – they had time to eat a battle ration together, talk a little and he left.”
The missed father Shimon has been volunteering in the battalion for 20 years, and he takes care of the soldiers in his place as if they were his sons – organizing company evenings, dinners for the soldiers and more. It is not impossible that this way he met the right people who would take him to his heart.
In the video published by his brother, Ofir is seen busy with his duties while sitting with other soldiers in the IDF Tiger just before entering the depths of Gaza. Another female soldier who was with him took a picture of him just as his father entered the Tiger and surprised him.
The family moment has touched the hearts of many since it was broadcast. “Ofir doesn’t know how much response this video has had, more than a million shares,” his brother notes. “He is about to be released so this adds even more to our excitement.”