David Grossman, one of the best living Israeli authors and peace-activists (Yellow Wind is most important book on peace issues), lost his son, Uri in the horror of Lebanon last week. No one's child is more precious than another, but this brings the painful absurdity of it home. A waste.

The Sun News | 08/19/2006 | Israeli writer laments son lost in Lebanon: "'I won't say anything at the moment about the war in which you were killed,' Grossman said in the eulogy. 'We, our family, have already lost this war. The state of Israel will now begin its soul-searching.'

Uri Grossman was the middle child of the writer's three children. His father described him in the eulogy as the only 'leftist' in his army unit, one who stuck to his ideals but went unwaveringly into military service as his national duty.

He was among 33 Israeli soldiers who were killed in the weekend offensive that accompanied the countdown toward a United Nations-brokered cease-fire."

http://www.ithl.org.il/author_info.asp?id=104
http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript_grossman.html