The Israeli television series “Valley of Tears,” now available on HBO, tells the story of the Yom Kippur War from the perspective of Israelis who fought it, and it’s prompting a national conversation about one of the most devastating chapters in the country’s history - both among those too young to remember it and the generation who paid the price of its battles and traumatic aftermath. The series is also credited with highlighting how deeply post-traumatic stress disorder permeates so many lives here, particularly among those who have served in combat.
In Israel, the broadcast of each episode was followed by a studio discussion with veterans. A dam burst open: former soldiers shared war stories, often opening up for the first time in their lives about them; their children and grandchildren asked to hear more, anxious to understand episodes that in some cases shaped their own childhoods.
Mourners at the funeral of of Ali Abu Aliya, 15, who was shot dead by Israeli soldiers on Dec. 4, al-Mughayyer, occupied West Bank, Dec. 5, 2020. (Oren Ziv)
On Friday, Dec. 4, Israeli soldiers shot and killed 15-year-old Ali Abu Aliya in the West Bank village of al-Mughayyer, near Ramallah. Abu Aliya, who was reportedly due to celebrate his birthday that evening, was shot with live ammunition while watching a demonstration taking place in the village.
Following the killing, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit stressed that Palestinians “tried to roll large rocks and burning tires… risking the lives of passengers on the Allon road [the nearby main road that crosses the West Bank from north to south].” Nonetheless, the military also stated that it had opened an investigation into the killing.