I joined the army in March 2001 and was accepted into the Naval Commando Marines. The training was very intensive, but I persevered.

Late on the night of July 6, 2004, my unit entered Nablus, using the cover of darkness to search for a house that was known to have 4 terrorists inside. The top 2 commanders of the PLFP, responsible for the cold-blooded murder of 8 Israelis, were part of the group hiding there.

We were sent on a dangerous mission. We knew to expect the worst.

When we entered Nablus, the target’s neighbour identified us, so we kept driving. Eventually we stopped the jeeps and 18 of us got out. My crew was the first to reach the house.

As the assault began, I saw a terrorist running toward us, shooting a 9mm gun. I started firing back. A bullet hit me and I dropped to the ground. My life was in danger but my natural instinct was to continue shooting at him even though I was wounded. It looked like my bullets were holding the terrorist upright; then he collapsed dead on my legs.

We were still being fired on from somewhere, and I continued to shoot back. Our commander Moran Vardi threw a grenade and yelled: “I’m coming to get you.” We heard gunshots and then silence. He never came to get us. Moran and 4 members of our unit were killed.

The loss of my legs cannot compare to the loss of my 5 special friends …

I remained with another injured soldier in the combat zone for half an hour until we were rescued. I was certain I was going to die. While waiting, we were still able to co-ordinate the fighting that eventually led to the killing of the second wanted terrorist. I was rushed to the hospital with a bullet lodged between the 11th and 12th vertebrae of my spine. There was no possibility of surgery. I was paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair forever.

For me, the rehabilitation process was a new kind of physical and emotional struggle. Just getting off the bed in the morning was a huge challenge, but I persisted.

As I was recovering, people kept telling me to go to Beit Halochem. I decided to give it a try. That “try” has changed my life. I saw that it was a place where injured people could come together to be motivated, a place to build a meaningful and independent existence despite disabilities and hardships.

It is difficult to be disabled and sitting in a wheelchair all of the time. I was searching for a place to let off some energy. The activities at Beit Halochem turned out to be just what I was looking for.

I joined the Beit Halochem wheelchair basketball team, playing defense. I also spend time working out in the gym and swimming in the heated pool at Beit Halochem.

Recently, I moved into an apartment with some friends in Tel Aviv so that I can be near to the Centre. I would be lost today, if I did not have Beit Halochem to help me live a normal life.

Thank you for giving me and the other 50,000 Israeli
Disabled Veterans a second home!
Ofer Varfel