BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — A University at Buffalo student is waiting for a call to report to military duty in Israel. The young man lost two friends in the horrific attacks but is willing to fight for the honor of what he believes in.
“I feel like I’m still in denial — can't think of like what actually happened and tomorrow I need to go back to school and act like everything is okay, which is very, very hard,” reflected Elisha Amiri.
Buffalo's connection to Israel is so much closer than you might realize. 24-year-old Elisha Amiri tells me his family lives in Israel and many of his friends are there.
Amiri’s family moved there when he was only five. After serving in the army, he moved to Buffalo to attend UB. But he watched in horror as his friends were attending the music festival during the terrorist attack.
“I call them — he answers, and he says, ‘Elisha, I’m going to die’ and I hear gunshots in the background and hold up like it's before it was on the news before anyone knew anything about the music festival. Now we know that 260 people were killed there,” Amiri recalls. “I heard around 30 people were hiding in one bomb shelter and the terrorists were just throwing grenades in and waiting for people to come out and then they just came in and started shooting everyone — line after line of people started falling dead.”
That friend survived, but two other friends did not.
“But then I saw that it's written on the picture ‘Rest in Peace’ and I’m like, that's how I found out and then I immediately checked with my friends,” Amiri explained. “And the second person I know — he was a SWAT operator, and he immediately went to one of the towns where they had hostages, and in one of the hostage situations he was killed, trying to free innocent people."
Amiri’s parents have managed to remain safe.
“I'd never seen anything like this before, all my years living there,” Amiri remarked.
His three other brothers also served in the army. One is in the West Bank now. and now Amiri tells me he's ready to defend his country. He learned he's an active reserve member and is waiting for the call.
“You're willing to take a huge risk in your life, for the sacrifice of what's happened?" Buckley asked. “If I don't risk and sacrifice this, I won't have anything to sacrifice for. There'll be nothing left,” Amiri replied. “This is a war for our country, for our identity for who we are.”
