metro Loss Of A L egend Slain police commando Detroiters mourn the death of one of Israel's best and bravest. David Sachs Senior Copy Editor L ast week's terrorist attacks that killed eight Israelis outside the southern resort town of Eilat tore at the hearts of a number of Metro Detroiters who are devoted to Israel's fighting forces. One of the victims was an Israeli police- man who was a key member of an elite anti-terror unit that had close ties to the Detroit Jewish community. Sharpshooter Pascal Avrahami was shot and killed as he pursued some of as many as 20 Arabs who had entered Israel from the Sinai on Aug. 18. The terrorists slaugh- tered six innocent civilians who were driv- ing along the main highway, including two sisters and their husbands, a bus driver and another motorist. An Israeli solider also was slain. Several of the terrorists were ultimately killed by Israeli forces, and further civilian casualties were prevented. Israel launched an air raid into Gaza later that day that took out six members of a radical group that Israel claimed was behind the attacks. Barrages of rockets then flowed toward Israeli civilian centers from Hamas- controlled Gaza. An Egyptian-brokered cease-fire went into effect on Monday, but tensions remain high. The 49-year-old Avrahami was Israel's most veteran SWAT-team sharpshooter, deployed to handle crises where civilians are taken hostage or otherwise in jeop- ardy. He was awarded the police medal of valor in 1990 and, in 1995, he received the medal of distinguished service. He was killed in the area of the original attacks a few hours later as the terror- ists were being rooted out. Ironically, Avrahami, the legendary anti-terrorist sniper, was shot in the head by an Arab sniper while Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Chief of Staff Benny Gantz briefed journalists nearby. The fallen commando, a native of France, is survived by his wife, Sima, and three children ages 25, 20 and 18. Avrahami was well known to members of the Michigan Chapter of the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF). The local chapter had "adopted" his rapid- deployment unit called Yamam, provid- ing support and visiting regularly. When the Michiganders would visit the Yamam facilities at Latrun, about halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Avrahami would give them a tour of the shooting range and a sample lesson on how to use some of the weaponry. Hundreds of people — friends, relatives and fellow officers, including all mem- bers of the police's top brass, as well as fellow Yamam officers past and present — arrived at Mount Herzl Cemetery in Jerusalem Friday to pay final respects. Andrew Hiller, a member of the Michigan Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces, tries out an American-made MP5 machine gun while visiting the Yamam shooting range. 16 August 25 • 2011 Pascal Avrahami "The Israel Police and the State of Israel bow their heads before the bravery of this man, who gave his life for us',' Police Commissioner Yohanan Danino said in his eulogy. "There is no doubt that the Yamam team's actions saved lives yesterday:' he said. "You were a role model for us and the entire people of Israel — a real hero:' added Avrahami's son Tat. "Many people are alive because of you, and they don't even know it." Help From Michigan Metro Detroit ties to the slain officer and his Yamam comrades run deep. "We adopted the Yamam unit in 2005, and we built for them a huge $2.3 million sports center:' said Tamir Oppenheim, executive director of the FIDF's Walled Lake-based Michigan Chapter. "I've just came back from a mission two weeks ago when I took 17 young guys from Michigan to Israel, and we visited the unit. "The death of Pascal is a big loss',' he added. "He was a legend in the unit. I've seen him many times. We visit at least two or three times a year." Oppenheim is all too familiar with the threats of rocket attacks and terrorist infil- tration that Israelis who live near Hamas- controlled Gaza endure. "I was born and raised in a kibbutz around the Gaza strip:' he said. "My sister still lives in the kibbutz, and they are suf- fering every day. It's a nightmare for those civilians." Andrew Hiller of Franklin, who will graduate from the University of Michigan Medical School next spring, was one of the 17 "next generation" local FIDF mem- bers who visited Yamam two weeks ago. Andrew, the middle son of supermarket executive Jim Hiller, plans to become an orthopedic surgeon and shares his father's strong support of Israel. "At the Yamam base, we sat down with the unit's commanders',' Andrew Hiller said. "They told us what they do and about their commitment to protecting Israel — often in crowded, urban settings or hos- tage situations. Legend on page 17 No Peace In Sight In Gaza N ative Israeli residents of Metro Detroit had strong reactions to last Thursday's violence emanating from Hamas-ruled Gaza. "Israel knew a terrorist attack was coming, but were unable to prevent it," ' said businessman Dany Saar of West Bloomfield. "You can- not protect against Dany Saar anything and every- thing, but you need to investigate it and learn where you missed it. "There's a rolling escalation of vio- lence between Israel and Gaza, and you never know how far it's going to go. Certainly, Israel is trying to avoid a major operation in Gaza. But one thing leads to another." What lies ahead along Israel's bor- ders with Gaza and Egypt? "I think Israel will have to deal with this insecurity and insta- bility in Gaza for the foreseeable future," said Hannan Lis, a Farmington Hills businessman. Hannan Lis "I don't see Hamas renouncing violence or turning over control of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority," Lis said. "I don't see civil rule of law in Gaza for a long, long time. I think people wielding the weapons in Gaza will not give them up peacefully. The Palestinians' own self interest is not being served by this. "This is a long-term problem that Israel does not have full control of unless it is willing to go back and reoc- cupy Gaza — which no Israeli govern- ment, right, left or center is interested in doing." Li - David Sachs