Daniel Peretz a modern Maccabee deserving global honour

Daniel Perez was a Gen-Zionist hero.

Perez was born in Johannesburg. After his Barmitzvah, his family realised the millennia-old dream of returning to Israel. Five years later, like most Israeli boys fresh out of high school, he enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

But Perez had a problem: a water skiing injury, which barred him from combat service. He could have taken the out and settled for a desk job – no shame in that. But he refused to take “no” for an answer, and fought the army bureaucracy to let him serve in the Armored Corps. After surgery and nine months of physical therapy and recovery, he won his first battle.

Perez graduated with honours from a tank commanders course, and then again from officers’ school.

On 7 October 2023, Perez was stationed at Nahal Oz. When Hamas’s terrorist army invaded, hunting for innocent people to mutilate and kidnap, 22-year-old Perez was the first line of defence. He and his comrades fought heroically, but the barbarian horde was too numerous.

They were four young men in the tank. His comrade, Tomer Leibovitz fell in battle. Matan Angrest was abducted, tortured in captivity, and released only yesterday after two years in Hamas’s tunnels. Itay Chen was killed and his body snatched into Gaza, where it is still trapped. And Perez was injured and abducted into the Gaza Strip, perhaps already dead. For 163 days, his family knew nothing about his fate until the IDF pronounced him a fallen soldier.

Last night, after holding onto his body for a ransom for two years, the Hamas terrorist army finally released his remains for burial.

Every young Jewish boy in the world should know the name Daniel Perez. Jewish schools should name awards for excellence in his honour. Because Perez refused to take the easy way out. He didn’t put himself first. He put himself out front, and fought valiantly to defend innocents from slaughter. If his native South Africa wasn’t waging legal warfare in defence of the people who killed him, it, too, would honour one of its most courageous sons.

Rest in peace, young hero. A global generation of young Jews, forged by the fire of 7 October, will salute you as a modern Maccabee of our biblical times.

• Eylon Levy is head of Spokesoffice in Israel, and the former spokesperson for the state of Israel.