VANCOUVER — The parents of a Vancouver man who is missing in Israel following the Saturday attack by Hamas have flown to Israel to look for him.
Ben Mizrachi’s disappearance was initially reported by his former high school, which broke its Shabbat communication protocols to ask for prayers for people in Israel.
“Please say extra prayers for King David alumnus, Ben Mizrachi, class of 2018, who was attending an event in the South (of Israel) and is missing,” said King David High School on social media. “Please keep Ben and his family in your prayers.”
Rabbi Jonathan Infeld of Beth Israel Synagogue in Vancouver said Mizrachi’s parents, who live across the street from him but attend a different synagogue, have travelled to Israel to look for their son.
“I was with the family and there’s no words. I’ve never made a more difficult house call,” he said of his visit with the parents. “There’s nothing that a person can say in a situation like that.”
Ginaya Peters, whose family attends the same synagogue as Mizrachi’s family, said Mizrachi was attending a music festival that came under attack near the border with Gaza.
She urged the Canadian government to do what it can to get Mizrachi back safe.
“Our hope is that when Canadian citizens are in danger like that, they are working it and they do what government is supposed to do and get any Canadians in harm’s way out of them, whether its negotiations or working back channels,” Peters said. “We need all hands on deck.”
In a statement, Global Affairs Canada said it is aware of reports of one Canadian who has died and three others who are missing. Canadian government officials in Israel are in touch with local authorities to confirm and gather information.
“The Government of Canada’s first priority is always the safety and security of its citizens,” it said. “For this reason, we will not comment on or release any information which may compromise ongoing efforts or endanger the safety of Canadians. ”
There are more than 2,450 Canadians in Israel and 480 Canadians registered in Palestinian territories.
Since the start of the conflict, Global Affairs Canada has responded to 785 enquiries, mostly relating to travel advice for Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the status of airports and flights, and the overall security situation.
Infeld’s son, 18 and a friend of Mizrachi, is in Israel on a gap year until the spring.
Infeld’s son told him he is safe in Jerusalem, where’s he’s studying, and has no plans to return to Vancouver before his stay is up. “He said he wants to stay and help in any way he can,” said Infeld.
Peters’s 18-year-old son is also in Jerusalem on a gap year program. He’s safe and hunkering down in the Jewish quarter of the old city where he lives, said Peters. “There have been intermittent fire and they have had to go to the bomb shelter.”
Like many in the Jewish community, Peters was offline for Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, when she found out about the attack.
“Our phones started blowing up non-stop,” she said. “Something clearly was going on. That’s when we found out there was an attack on Israel on a massive scale, not an isolated lone-wolf terrorist attack, but a massive attack.”
She texted her son and was relieved to hear back from him the next morning.
He was determined to stay in Israel, “to help in any way he can,” said Peters. “They’re trying to do various things, like donating blood and making sure they’re available for funerals and shivas of people they don’t even know just to make sure there’s people there to make quorum.”
He and his friends are also offering to help families whose members have been called up to serve in the military. “It’s really important for him to stay in Israel and show that we stand with Israel, especially since this is unprecedented,” said Peters.
Alexandre Look, a Montreal man in his 30s who was visiting Israel, was also at the music festival. His father announced the news of his death on Facebook.
“It is with extreme sadness that we announce the death of our son, Alexandre Look,” Alain Haim Look wrote.
“He left us today in Israel after a terrorist attack. Like a true warrior, he left as a hero by trying to protect the people who were with him. Alex was a force of nature who possessed a unique charm and a generosity that can’t be matched.
— with files from Montreal Gazette and Associated Press
