The Free Press
LIVE: Haviv Rettig Gur on The Middle East
NewslettersSign InSubscribe

Share this post

The Free Press
The Free Press
Matti Friedman: The Family that Never Came Home
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
Matti Friedman: The Family that Never Came Home
Yarden Bibas returned to Israel alive. But his wife Shiri—and their two young children, Kfir and Ariel—tragically came home in coffins. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
The deaths of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas were too unbearable to believe. Israelis couldn’t accept it until we had no other choice.
By Matti Friedman
02.20.25 — Israel and Antisemitism
192
173

Share this post

The Free Press
The Free Press
Matti Friedman: The Family that Never Came Home
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More

Israeli television did not broadcast the ceremony that took place in Gaza this morning. As masked terrorists put four black coffins on a stage in Khan Younis, the channels instead showed photos of the people inside them, taken before the war began—including of an Israeli mother and two redheaded boys, laughing on a couch, picking fruit in an orchard, still believing they’re safe.

Maintaining The Free Press is Expensive!
To support independent journalism, and unlock all of our investigative stories and provocative commentary about the world as it actually is, subscribe below.
Already have an account?
Sign In
Matti Friedman
Matti Friedman is a Jerusalem-based columnist for The Free Press. He’s the author of four nonfiction books, of which the most recent is Who by Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai.
Tags:
Middle East
Comments
Join the conversation
Share your thoughts and connect with other readers by becoming a paid subscriber!
Already a paid subscriber? Sign in

No posts

For Free People.
LatestSearchAboutCareersShopPodcastsVideoEvents
©2025 The Free Press. All Rights Reserved.Powered by Substack.
Privacy∙Terms∙Collection notice

Share

Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More