Nir Poraz
Encyclopedia
Nir Poraz (Hebrew: ניר פורז) was a 23 year-old Israeli Defence Forces Captain who was killed in action by Hamas
during the failed October 14, 1994 rescue mission to release IDF soldier Nachshon Wachsman in Bir Nabbalah. The rescue operation was authorized by then Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
. Poraz was killed by close range automatic fire from a distance of three yards.
Author Ami Pedahzur writes in his book The Israeli Secret Services and the Struggle Against Terrorism that in addition to the deaths of Wachsman and Poraz "ten officers and enlisted men had been wounded." Three Hamas gunmen were also killed.
Poraz, along with Capt. Lior Lotan, was one of the mission commanders of the Sayeret Matkal
team which had been assigned the task to rescue Wachsman. Poraz and Wachsman had never met.
Many similarities have been drawn between Israel's different response to the kidnapping of Wachsman and to the 2006 kidnapping of Cpl. Gilad Shalit.
Poraz's mother, Mati, when interviewed by the Israeli news source ynet said, "I can only hope that there will be no rescue operation; that it will end in diplomatic manners."
In addition to his mother, Nir is survived by his two sisters Tamar and Amit.
Nir hailed from the left-wing of Israeli society. According to Rabbi Mordechai Elon
, "Nir was the leader of a Meretz cell in the Sharon."
When he was two years old, Nir's father was killed in the 1973 Yom Kippur War during the battle for the Suez Canal. Nir's name is frequently evoked in speeches at memorial services to Yitzhak Rabin and Nahshon Wachsman.
Nir's military funeral took place in Kfar Sha'ul on the Sunday afternoon following his death. At the request of Nir's mother, Rabbi Mordechai Elon of Yeshivat HaKotel delivered a eulogy devoid of politics.
Nir Poraz's name has also been given to a recent Israeli medical discovery NIR.
An annual duathalon is named after him in Ramat HaSharon.
A tribute to the lives of Nir Poraz and Nahshon Wachsman can be seen here.
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
during the failed October 14, 1994 rescue mission to release IDF soldier Nachshon Wachsman in Bir Nabbalah. The rescue operation was authorized by then Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin
' was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995....
. Poraz was killed by close range automatic fire from a distance of three yards.
Author Ami Pedahzur writes in his book The Israeli Secret Services and the Struggle Against Terrorism that in addition to the deaths of Wachsman and Poraz "ten officers and enlisted men had been wounded." Three Hamas gunmen were also killed.
Poraz, along with Capt. Lior Lotan, was one of the mission commanders of the Sayeret Matkal
Sayeret Matkal
Sayeret Matkal is a special forces unit of the Israel Defence Forces , which is subordinated to the intelligence directorate Aman. First and foremost a field intelligence-gathering unit, conducting deep reconnaissance behind enemy lines to obtain strategic intelligence, Sayeret Matkal is also...
team which had been assigned the task to rescue Wachsman. Poraz and Wachsman had never met.
Many similarities have been drawn between Israel's different response to the kidnapping of Wachsman and to the 2006 kidnapping of Cpl. Gilad Shalit.
Poraz's mother, Mati, when interviewed by the Israeli news source ynet said, "I can only hope that there will be no rescue operation; that it will end in diplomatic manners."
In addition to his mother, Nir is survived by his two sisters Tamar and Amit.
Nir hailed from the left-wing of Israeli society. According to Rabbi Mordechai Elon
Mordechai Elon
Rabbi Mordechai Elon is a Zionist Israeli rabbi. He has headed several Jewish, religious and social organizations and institutions, as well as having hosted television and radio shows...
, "Nir was the leader of a Meretz cell in the Sharon."
When he was two years old, Nir's father was killed in the 1973 Yom Kippur War during the battle for the Suez Canal. Nir's name is frequently evoked in speeches at memorial services to Yitzhak Rabin and Nahshon Wachsman.
Nir's military funeral took place in Kfar Sha'ul on the Sunday afternoon following his death. At the request of Nir's mother, Rabbi Mordechai Elon of Yeshivat HaKotel delivered a eulogy devoid of politics.
Nir Poraz's name has also been given to a recent Israeli medical discovery NIR.
An annual duathalon is named after him in Ramat HaSharon.
A tribute to the lives of Nir Poraz and Nahshon Wachsman can be seen here.