“The Israeli soldiers told me to leave my location because my life was in danger,” said Brazilbased banking analyst Rafael Birman Israel since 2018 and who survived the terrorist attack Hamas on October 7, in which 1,400 people died.
In an interview with EstadaoThe 30yearold Brazilian explains how he managed to escape the Brazilian electronic music rave Universo Paralelo, where 260 people were killed by the terrorist group Hamas. Birman attended a ceremony at the Holocaust Memorial in São Paulo on Thursday 9th, commemorating the 1,400 victims of the Hamas group’s terrorist attack in Israel and also held a celebration of the 85th anniversary of the socalled Kristallnacht, as the attacks on Jews in Nazi Germany between November 9th and 10th, 1938 were called.
The Brazilian says he saw destroyed cars and injured people along the way. Birman’s vehicle was hit by gunfire during an ambush by Hamas terrorists. “We found out that 40 terrorists shot at us and the army car there. I thought I was going to die. One of the soldiers who protected us ended up losing his leg, but he is alive.”
Check out excerpts from the interview
The Brazilian Rafael Birman has lived in Israel since 2018 and was one of the survivors of the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7th. Photo: Rafael Birman/Instagram
What was the decision to go to a festival near the Gaza border like?
I’ve always wanted to attend the festival Universo Paralelo, my sisterinlaw, was already at the edition that was held in Bahia and she sent me the link to the event of this edition that would be held in Israel and I bought it as soon as she sent it to me. I was super excited and we planned our trip to the festival, but after three months my sisterinlaw still hadn’t bought it and I called a lot of friends who hadn’t decided on the festival either.
Many friends ended up not going because of the cost of the party or other plans, but not because of fear. Nobody knew it would be so close to Gaza. At these events in Israel, the location is only announced an hour before the event to avoid terrorist attacks and unnecessary crowds, but when they announced the location, I was worried.
I was worried and told a friend that I was really looking forward to this party even before I knew where it would be. When I found out, I asked my friends if it would be safe to go to a party somewhere nearby Gaza Strip, but two people I know told me they had already been to parties there and that it was safe. Since the 2000s, many festivals have taken place in this region of southern Israel, and another event was held the day before the festival. They would have another party there the next day.
That’s why I went, but I had a bad feeling and now I understand why. I really believe in energies and I was feeling really bad before the event. I even joked with a friend when I found out the location of the event, saying that I hoped to survive the party near Gaza.
The Universo Paralelo music festival was attacked by Hamas terrorists in southern Israel. 260 people died at the scene of the accident. Photo: Gil CohenMagen/AFP
Could you please tell me a little about your escape from the festival, from the moment you felt something was wrong
First of all, the first thing we knew was the rockets, and this is an area that receives a lot of rockets because of its proximity to the Gaza Strip. Then the event production stopped the music and everyone started running and seeking shelter. The police officers on site advised us to stay there and not go to our car at that time because there was a risk that a rocket could hit the car.
But I was one of the first to go to the car. I argued to my friends that we couldn’t wait any longer. It’s not like Tel Aviv where we have a minute to find shelter, so I ran to the exit of the parking lot first.
I was driving and trying to avoid the crowds, so I threw my car on the grass and decided to take unconventional routes. We tried to go north, but we saw a wrecked car and a damn girl who asked us not to go north because there were terrorists on that road and people were starting to despair.
Destroyed cars at the site of the Universo Paralelo electronic music festival near the Gaza border. Photo: Aris Messinis/AFP
At this point I decided to leave the highway and take a parallel dirt road, but we were cornered by Hamas terrorists. I didn’t see them, but we heard gunshots, and when the back window of my car exploded, we knew something was happening and that terrorists were shooting at the car.
We were lucky because shortly afterwards an Israel Defense Forces car arrived at the scene and started a shootout with the terrorists to protect us. I threw the car aside, opened the door, threw myself on the ground and asked my friends to do the same. We spent 20 minutes there while Hamas terrorists exchanged fire with Israeli troops. We found that there were 40 terrorists shooting at us and the army car.
One of the soldiers who protected us ended up losing his leg, but he is alive. I contacted him and we agreed to meet when I return to Israel. He told me that everything was fine and that his mission was to protect Israel and that if he had to do it all over again, he would do it.
We escaped this situation with the shield car and reached a bunker, where we stayed for another 20 minutes until the army managed to get the situation under better control. A soldier said we had to leave this place because our lives were in danger.
Where did you go when you managed to escape?
We managed to get a ride to a neighboring town called Netivot with a man who was also at the party, and we took shelter in a building. We spent hours there listening to the rockets and sirens and one of the residents opened the doors to his house.
They gave us food and water and we showered. At that moment we became more aware of the scale of the attack and the cruelty of the Hamas terrorists.
Did you know anyone who died at the festival?
I knew that Ranani GlaserI wasn’t a very close friend, but every time we went to footvolley tournaments or parties on the beach, we stayed together and hugged. He was a very happy person with great energy..
A Bruna Valeanu I met him at the party that same day. She was super cheerful and happy. The girls that were with me were Bruna’s best friends and as we walked to the car I offered Bruna a ride but unfortunately she wanted to wait for a friend who was at the party and we had no way of knowing the extent of it to learn about attack and everything. that would happen.
After just over a month of Hamas terrorist attacks, do you feel safe in Israel? Do you want to return to Brazil or stay there?
I moved to Israel in 2018, my plan was to stay for a year and I ended up staying for six. I have always felt safe in Israel, we have a lot of trust in the Israeli army and the security it provides us.
It’s not like here, where the police intimidate good people. The army is there for protection and no one is afraid of it, it is there for protection and everyone is on the same side.
But I’m a little afraid to go back, I’m waiting for something to change in the war. My brother is there and so are my friends and they tell me that everything works in Tel Aviv, people work. Reduced, of course, but there is a certain level of normality.
At some point I have to return to Israel, but I don’t know for how long. I had wanted to return to Brazil to live in a few years, but I didn’t have an exact return date.