It’s been merely days since his mom Vivian Silver was confirmed killed in Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault on Israel, however Yonatan Zeigen says coping along with her loss has been simpler to do figuring out how strongly her trigger resonated with folks.
“Personally, it made me stronger via this time period to witness how a lot folks relate to my mom as a human being and to (her) message and to the way in which she lived her life,” he mentioned in an interview on CTV’s Energy Play with Vassy Kapelos Thursday.
“And I feel that is a giant level, that her values and her mind-set does converse for lots of people.”
Silver was initially believed to be one of many roughly 240 folks taken captive by Hamas gunmen throughout the Oct. 7 assault, however Zeigen confirmed her stays have been situated and ultimately recognized weeks afterward.
Previous to her loss of life, Winnipeg-born Silver, 74, was dwelling in Kibbutz Be’eri, on the sting of the Gaza Strip. She had left her residence in Winnipeg greater than 50 years in the past to dwell in Israel and work on peace initiatives.
Throughout her free time, Silver volunteered to drive Palestinian sufferers and their households from Gaza to Israeli hospitals for medical care.
She was additionally concerned in quite a few humanitarian teams. She co-founded Girls Wage Peace, which advocates for a unified demand for diplomatic negotiation, with full illustration of ladies, to finish the Israeli-Palestinian battle.
Zeigen mentioned his mom “devoted her life to causes of equality and justice and peace,” which he described as her lasting legacy.
“She would at all times see peace as the one viable choice,” he mentioned.
“As a result of the one manner for folks to have protected lives, and in occasions of peril and ache, (is) the truth that we are able to overlook our personal ache and never flip to the way in which of vengeance, however to know that the one manner to take action … is thru reconciliation.”
Pictured is the late Canadian Vivian Silver, who was confirmed kill in Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault on Israel. (Contributed)
Israeli authorities say some 1,200 folks have been killed within the Oct. 6 assault. The following battle has killed greater than 11,470 Palestinians, in keeping with the Hamas-controlled Gaza Well being Ministry. Zeigen mentioned his mom’s loss of life has given him “stronger conviction” for an enduring answer to the Israeli-Palestinian battle.
“Residing via this battle made me stronger and I really feel my mom’s spirit in me,” he mentioned.
He added that he hopes extra folks will vouch for peace and an finish to human struggling.
“I feel after we … expertise violence that it’s extremely laborious to see one thing totally different, however I at all times know that it is fairly easy, really,” Zeigen mentioned.
“It is only a query of wanting, after which I feel if I’m able to need non-violence, and different folks as effectively, … like we mentioned, circling again to the start of the interview, how many individuals associated to Vivian, then we simply want some extra folks to need it after which it may be finished.”
Zeigen mentioned he’ll keep in mind Silver as a “fantastic” individual, mom and grandmother.
“She was deep, her mind-set, her manner of viewing life and other people, and she or he was additionally very assertive, however at all times lovable and delicate and empathetic. And he or she at all times took into consideration how she impacts others or how one thing impacts others.”
