Terror victim's father's pain at seeing Israel trade terrorists for hostages

Yossi Zur, who lost his son, Asaf, in 2003, in a terrorist bombing in his hometown of Haifa,

Yossi Zur lost his son, Asaf, in 2003, in a terrorist bombing in his hometown of Haifa. 

We are a peace-seeking people. We are willing to go to great lengths to compromise and achieve peace—but only with those who share that desire. Terrorist extremists are not partners seeking peace but rather our complete annihilation.As a family, we wanted to continue our lives and find healing, even though no parent can truly heal from the loss of a child. A couple of years after the attack, we were fortunate to have another baby boy. Normally, parents bring children into the world to give them life, joy, and happiness. In our case, the child we were given brought life back to us. He allowed us to focus on the positive aspects of life, even as we carried our grief alongside them.We joined the activities of OneFamily, an organization that supports terror victims and their families. We had to return to work and live our lives as if we were "normal" people. At work, you must put on a "happy face." You must appear normal, even when something triggers a memory of your murdered son and all you want is to find a quiet place to cry. But in OneFamily meetings, retreats, and trips, we were surrounded by bereaved parents like us. We could share our thoughts and experiences without fear of judgment. We could be ourselves without worrying about how we looked to others. After the October 7 attack, we met with newly bereaved families from our city to introduce them to OneFamily and the support it provides.