Idan Amedi, the well-known and beloved Israeli singer and actor, left everything behind on October 7th in order to stand in the battlefield and fight for the country.
Amedi served as a reserve trooper in the engineer corps and fought deep inside the Gaza Strip, until he was injured last Monday in a serious but stable manner from shrapnel throughout his body.
A few days ago, after a successful operation, Amedi was released from intensive care, and he is now in the trauma department at Sheba Hospital in Tel Hashomer.
Amedi’s is only one of the thousands that have been injured since the beginning of the war, but he is charged with particularly great symbolism.
Amedi, as a famous and successful singer, could very easily, as many singers do, continue to perform and earn money, keeping quiet during this period. But he, like hundreds of thousands of Israelis, insisted on coming to the battlefield as a reservist, in order to protect his homeland.
At the very beginning of the war, Amedi stated: “An entire generation of our loved ones has been slaughtered. We will not stop the fighting. I am ready to not perform or sing for a year. We must not abandon the citizens of the south and the north again. Anything other than the elimination of Hamas in Gaza and the root canal of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon is an immediate danger to our children”.
In his songs, Amedi’s influence is enormous. After serving in the army, instead of repressing the issue of post-trauma, which is basically not dealt with in Hebrew music, Amedi normalized it and talked about it. In doing so, he changed the public discourse and gave room to many who were dealing with challenging and traumatic experiences. His song “Pain of Warriors” (2010), was a big revolution, and especially now, is very present in the Israeli consciousness and has even been performed by a multitude of singers. Even from reading a single section of the song, you can see why:
“You don’t understand anymore why
I am no longer myself
pictures from that night running
Tears, and pain of warriors”
Amedi has a special form of heroism. He is strong and tough, but is not afraid to reveal how vulnerable he is, how hurt he really is, and to normalize this consciousness in many others. Beyond that – with everything he experienced, he returned to fight, knowing that there would be a price.
Recently, when Amedi woke up in the hospital, he sent with Minister Chili Trooper who came to visit him a short and precise message to the people of Israel: “Brother, don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine, what’s important is that we all stay strong together.”
A message of brotherhood and unity.
Amedi’s heroism indicates only a trace of the heroism that our people have. His selflessness, devotion to his country, and message of unity are all very inspirational. May we all be worth it.
To respond – tgnovick3@gmail.com
