Singer Aviv Geffen's outrageous statement at the Alternative Families ceremony on the anniversary of October 7, where he declared that "they stole our country," continues to create a stir.
This is a new song by Gefen called "Upside Down Land," which the singer composed and performed for the first time on stage in Yarkon Park, with the following lyrics: "They won't steal our flag, but they stole the country, it can't be any different in an upside down land.".
David Taher, the father of Adir Taher, who fell in battle, wrote to Gefen: "Who stole your country, Mr. Aviv Gefen? I hope you don't mean my son Adir Taher, who was brutally murdered while defending the land you are treading on!""
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He added: "Except to tell you that you should be ashamed, I won't elaborate - a ceremony that is all politics and a finger in the eye for me and all the bereaved families.".
The late 19-year-old Tahar from Jerusalem served as a fighter in the Golani. He fought bravely and heroically on October 7 until he fell in battle.
Another response is from Lidor Elimelech, a reservist who was called up on October 7 and spent more than seven months in the headquarters of the battalion in which he serves. In his civilian life, Elimelech works as the director of the digital division for Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana.
In a painful and stormy post written by Elimelech, he furiously attacks: “What country did I steal, Mr. Aviv Geffen? I am starting the seventh month of the reserves this year, I lost the entire summer in Tel Aviv because I donated it to the country – so what country did I steal?”
Elimelech described his reserve service in the war: “On October 7, 1923, I was suddenly called up for four very difficult and life-threatening months. There were nights when I had nowhere to sleep, even when it was rainy. I covered my head with a scarf because of the drops - so what country did I steal?”
The soldier, who was recently called up for reserve duty again, added: “Just before Rosh Hashanah, I was again called up by Order 8. You have no idea how much I was waiting for this holiday and the holiday season in general, especially Yom Kippur, which I will probably spend again in the battalion’s headquarters, so that you can enjoy the peace and quiet of this holiday. By the way, where I am now, there are almost no alarms, you just hear booms and pray that nothing falls on you - so what country did I steal?”
In the painful post, Elimelech described the financial damage he suffered as a result of his reserve service for the country: "I recently opened a business for digital marketing. Unfortunately, I am unable to provide a solution to this client after I built the entire plan for him. I invested a lot of time and money in it. Now everything has gone to waste because of/for the country - so which country did I steal?"“
Elimelech continued and wrote: “The country for which I put on a uniform, do you know what a uniform is? The country for which I will stop everything at any given moment and go defend it. Do you know the feeling? I doubt it,” the retired soldier wrote painfully, and ended the post to Gefen: ’If you don’t have something from one to encourage us these days, then just shut up and stop interrupting our mission to defend you.“.
News 12 political commentator Amit Segal responded to Geffen live that evening: "One comment to Aviv Geffen - no one stole your country. The country belongs to everyone. It belongs to everyone, even from the other side.".
Geffen himself responded to the staff in a story he posted on Instagram: "If you're on the stealing side, then everything is fine. Just a feeling of the majority of the people, Hafif.".
It is not clear how Gefen knows how most people feel.
