Nurit
Greenger
Like each year, some people from
the Los Angeles Jewish and Israeli community and others, who view this terror
attack in the right perspective, begin their 4th of July celebration
with a somber reminder of the loss of Vicki Hen at exactly 11:20 a.m. on July
4, 2002.
Victoria (Vicky) Hen was fatally
shot by Hesham
Mohamed Hadayet, a deranged Egyptian born
Moslem terrorist who targeted the El Al – the national airlines of the Jewish state
Israel – counter, at Bradley International Terminal of LAX where Vicky was employed.
Vicki was only 25 years of age when she was
gunned down in the first Islamic act of terror in the West Coast of the USA. In
this terror attack Yaacov Amidinov also lost his life.
Vicki was a victim of Islamo-terror. And why was she such a victim? Because
she was Jewish.
In the Jewish culture there is a saying, he who saves one soul saves an entire world.
I will turn this saying and
say, he who was killed among us, Jews, as if an entire nation was killed.
For
some reason the murder if Vicki has been pushed aside and almost forgotten. If
not for Avi Hen, Vicki's father, endless efforts to keep his daughter's murder in
the authorities and the public at large memory, with the help of his family and
close friends, who every year remind and invite the public to attend the tribute
at LAX, I doubt if people will remember. If not for the terrific staff at the consul
general of Israel, who send a media reminder to the local TV channels there
would not be the proper reminder coverage. Instead
of having multitude of people in attendance to make a national statement, we fail on our
cause.
Our forgetfulness is inexcusable.
This is the eleventh year we
do not have Vicky amongst us. Her memory
must live on in our hearts forever. Vicki lost her life in order for the nation
of Israel to never forget who we are. We must make an annual statement that
Vicki did not lose her life in vain.
Next year, please God, it is
imperative that several hundred people gather around Vicki's memorial stone at
LAX and make a statement on behalf of Vicki, that we are a strong nation, not a victim nation, and when we say Never
Again, we mean it.
May
Vicky's soul be bound in
the bond of life.
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