'Ahmad was genuine light, a good soul' - Netanyahu meets family of fallen IDF Bedouin soldier

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the bereaved family of the late IDF Sgt. First Class Ahmad Abu Latif on Monday.

Latif was a Bedouin, Muslim reservist who was tragically killed on Jan. 22, the deadliest day of battle for Israeli Defense Forces since the start of the war in Gaza.

During the emotional visit in the town of Rahat, Netanyahu listened to family members tell stories about Latif’s peace-loving character and his heroic, dedicated service to protect his homeland. Ahmad’s father, Tawfik, said his son would often host soldiers in his home for a meal and tell them: “This is your home, this is your homeland.” 

In a post Ahmad made on social media just before answering the call to military reserve duty, the 26-year-old expressed his solidarity and friendship with all sectors of Israeli society, including his neighboring kibbutz.

"My name is Ahmad Abu Latif, father of 11-month-old Mansoura. I've lived in Rahat all my life and for the past two years I've been working in the security department at Ben-Gurion University. And above all, I'm proud to be an Israeli Bedouin!" Latif wrote.

"I'm also proud to have served in the IDF as a fighter in the Bedouin Brigade. Those were years I'll never forget. During my service, I discovered my strengths and my ability to meet challenges, and I met extraordinary people who became lifelong friends. I'm happy when I have the opportunity to connect with the people who make up our society and bring cultures closer together. I'm happy to be able to invite my friends to eat meat and Maqluba Braht (a Bedouin delicacy), but also to play music at Kibbutz Shoval and sing Yehudit Ravitz songs,” he continued.

Ahmad went on to call for unity between all Israelis: “For me, the people I live and work with are my brothers and sisters, and we all live together and respect each other in our land. I am proud to be a Bedouin who served in the IDF… I had the privilege to defend and protect in a meaningful service that I will never forget. … The Bedouin community mourns the civilian victims who were murdered for no fault of their own – Jews, Christians, or Muslims. And I want to take this opportunity to inspire everyone who reads this! We all share the same destiny, and we must be together and united,” Latif said.

Ahmad served in the 8208th Battalion and was among the 24 soldiers killed on Jan. 22, when two buildings exploded and collapsed in the center of the Gaza Strip.

The young Bedouin was known among his fellow students at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, where he served on staff in the security department. He left behind a wife, an 11-month-old daughter, his parents and 11 siblings.

Netanyahu expressed his deep sympathy for Ahmad’s family during the condolence call, sharing his own experiences with loss and grief.

“I mourn this loss together with you, with his wife, with little Mansura, with the grandfather, the family and the siblings. I mourn together with you; I know what it is to lose a brother; I also saw my parents in their moments of sorrow. But the people here are very united, and this is a turning point.”

Ahmad's brother, Kaid, also noted Ahmad’s belief in unity and a shared destiny, especially amid the current conflict. He suggested memorializing his late brother by awarding him with the Prime Minister’s Prize to pioneering research in the shared existence of Jews and Arabs in Israel.

Netanyahu responded by saying, “I think that your suggestion is very interesting. I think that it must be advanced. There is an example here, I am not just saying this – Ahmad was an example. I also see the spirit and the light that it gives, genuine light, a good soul.

The prime minister noted a recent interaction with a Bedouin officer, who shared a similar sentiment about fighting against oppression and injustice.

“I visited the Desert Reconnaissance Battalion. One of the Bedouin officers told me: ‘On the way to the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip, I saw a woman who had been beheaded. It is against this that we are fighting.’ That is what he said. ‘Against this we are fighting.’ Against this we are fighting – fighting together,” Netanyahu said.

“This sense of ‘together’ needs to be expressed now with even greater intensity. There is a great contribution – unity – to heroes like Ahmad because it affects the entire public. It penetrates through to the heart, together,” the prime minister said.

“The state is a diamond. It is a diamond that will also be in time of peace – but without the monsters. I would like to thank you all. I would like to thank you and the mother; she is in deep sorrow.”

Recent polls have suggested that the Oct. 7 attack has united Israelis of all faiths and ethnicities against Hamas.

Six Bedouins were taken hostage by the terror organization during the Oct. 7 attack and dozens of Bedouins and Arabs were killed as a result of terrorists indiscriminate killing and the rocket fire that followed.

Ahmad Latif’s final words on his social media post stands as a reminder for all Israelis to continue to work together for peace. 

“Since the start of the war, we've heard a lot about the involvement of Arab citizens. Unfortunately, among the dead are Bedouin and Druze soldiers, Muslims and Christians, who became heroes defending the country,” the young father emphasized.

“Unfortunately, there are people who don't believe in the ties between Israeli communities, who try to intimidate, provoke and destroy trust. Don't believe them, and don't let this happen,” he concluded.