David Wallach, a Calgary native, along with his family, have safely returned to Canada after a perilous experience in Israel during the Israel-Gaza war. David, his wife Zohar, their daughter and the daughter’s boyfriend unexpectedly found themselves in the midst of the conflict, having arrived in Tel Aviv mere days before Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel. Wallach stated, “We planned a family trip, but instead, we were met with daily sirens and rocket attacks.”
The family grappled with two dangerously close encounters with rockets, one of which just narrowly missed them. They were seated outside in a hamlet north of Tel Aviv when they were startled by an immense explosion. “It fell about 600 or 800 metres from us in a deserted field,” recalled Wallach, “You hear the explosion, and fear engulfs you.”
Though eager to evacuate, the Wallach family could not rely on waiting for governmental rescue flights. Instead, they discovered a lifeline: a Toronto-based businessman was funding smaller planes to help people escape Israel. The family secured positions on one of these charter flights departing from Haifa, which transported them to Larnaca, Cyprus. From there, the journey home was on them.
The escape route for Wallach’s daughter and her boyfriend diverged, as they navigated their own path back to Vancouver. Wallach, his wife, and their family friend journeyed via Athens and Rome, finally touching down in Calgary on Saturday evening. “It was a long journey, 23 hours,” acknowledged Wallach, “but we made it.”
On their arrival in Calgary, friends greeted the Wallach family fondly at the airport, brandishing heartwarming welcome signs. Despite their relief at being back on home soil, the couple still worry about their close ones who remain in the conflicted region. Wallach expressed the heavy sentiment, “It’s bittersweet. Yes, we are safe here, but we know that people we left behind are not so safe.”
In the meantime, Wallach pledges his continuous support to his loved ones back in Israel, assuring constant remote assistance. As per Global Affairs Canada, more than 1,000 residents have departed Israel on Canadian evacuation flights, with the last one scheduled for Sunday. The Wallach family are, thankfully, no longer part of these worrying statistics.
