A Seattle man left his home and returned to Israel to serve as an IDF reservist after learning that his cousins and their three children were among the hundreds of Israeli civilians slaughtered in Hamas' harrowing Oct. 7 attack.
The Israeli-born tech worker, who asked to be identified only as Rotem for safety reasons, has been living in Seattle for the past decade with his family when he received a text message from a member of his old IDF unit last week, urging him to check the news.
As details of Hamas' barbaric attack began to circulate and the extent of the bloodshed perpetrated by the terrorist group was revealed, Rotem understood that a war was imminent in the region. He immediately booked a flight to Israel, joining more than 300,000 other IDF reservists who were called to take up arms.
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"It wasn’t an easy decision, but it was a very clear-cut decision," he said Wednesday on "America Reports."
"A friend in my reserve unit texted me, ‘I think we are going to meet each other earlier than we thought.' And I said, ‘Wat are you talking about?’ He said, ’Check the news.’ I saw what was happening … understood we were going to be drafted, My wife knew this was going to happen; we had been speaking about it, Being a reservist for God knows, how long now, over 20 years, so it was clear that I was going to jump on the first plane and make it to Israel."
"It was hard [but] there was no decision-making, it was clear what I was going to do," he added.
For Rotem and many other IDF soldiers and reservists, the fight to protect their homeland is deeply personal. His cousin, Livnat Kutz, 49, her husband Aviv and their children, Rotem, 19, Yonatan 17, and Yiftach 15, are among the 1,300 Israelis – mostly civilians – who were massacred by Hamas terrorists in the devastating ambush attack. They were murdered in their home on the Kfar Aza kibbutz. The family had moved to Kfar Aza after spending several years in Boston.
Their bodies were reportedly discovered in bed together with Aviv holding his family in a protective embrace.
"It’s hard…we knew the whole family lived in Kfar Aza. We texted them, we called them, no communication whatsoever. And on Thursday, we came to learn that they were murdered by Hamas on that Saturday. We buried them yesterday," he said. "I don’t think that any family should bear that kind of thing. I don’t think any parents should bury their children and their grandchildren, not that way, not any way. And this is just yet another proof of how murderous Hamas is."
Rotem is currently serving in a combat role on the northern border of Israel and Lebanon. As Israel prepares for a ground invasion into Gaza, he said there is a palpable energy among the soldiers who are eager to defend their country and protect their families.
"I’ve seen a bunch of young people getting ready to protect and defend their families and defend their home. And that’s what it’s all about here, defending our country. It's why am I here — I’m here because that’s the right thing to do," he told FOX News host Sandra Smith.
Asked for details on the planned invasion, he said, "I can’t tell you anything you don’t know yet. I'll say it this way. The IDF is getting ready, we are ready, and when the order is given we’ll do whatever we have to do in a very effective and efficient way."
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As pro-Palestinian rallies escalate and apparent support for Hamas continues to make headlines internationally, Rotem pleaded with the world onlookers to "open their eyes" to the "lies and propaganda" being disseminated by the terrorist group.
"I’m not a politician and I don’t want to become one," he said, "So I’ll just say that people should open their eyes and just veer away from the psychological operations that are being continually echoed in various media channels that are just taking whatever Hamas is saying, which is pure lies and propaganda…"
"It’s a murderous and atrocious organization. We have all seen their true face in what happened last week and the only thing I’m asking people to do is just open their eyes."
Rotem said the graphic and disturbing videos being circulated by Hamas terrorists who filmed their horrifying attacks on Israeli men, women and children, will help give pro-Palestinian activists an idea of "what Israel is dealing with."
"I don’t want them to watch those videos but if that’s what they need to do, watch the videos," he continued. "For their own mental health, I recommend they won’t, But open your eyes, watch the videos if you have to understand what Israel is dealing with."
"Israel is a peaceful nation, the only democracy in the Middle East, and we are not here to fight," Rotem emphasized. "We never wanted to. We're, just doing what we are forced to [do]."
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