Thousands attended the funeral procession of deceased hostage Inbar Haiman, who was laid to rest on Friday at Yarkon Cemetery. Participants wore pink as a tribute to Haiman, who was a graffiti artist and was nicknamed "Pink." According to Haiman's friends, the nickname "Pink" symbolizes her favorite color. Among those attending the funeral were President Isaac Herzog, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, and Hostages and Missing Persons Coordinator Gal Hirsch.
Haiman was 27 when she was taken captive by Hamas during the Nova Festival in Re'im and was murdered by the terrorist organization. The announcement of her death came on December 16, 2023. Inbar, a Haifa resident, was a visual communications student and artist. She came to the festival as a "Helper" and was responsible for providing emotional support to festival attendees. She left behind two parents and a brother.
Since her abduction, her family has waged a campaign to return her body for burial in Israel, with the phrase "I'm also a woman, bring me back too," stated against the backdrop of the decision to return women and children first in hostage deals.
Yifat Haiman, Inbar's mother, previously said in the Knesset, "All I'm asking is to kiss her. All the deceased could God forbid disappear. And I won't speak God forbid about the living, who could be murdered. After they abandoned my daughter, I expect the Israeli government to do everything to bring her back in any way."
President Herzog eulogized Inbar, "Here, like the words of the song, you are gathered and returned to us – at the end of Tishrei, after you were torn from us – at the end of another, bitter and terrible Tishrei, by the hand of Satan himself. How did it happen that a child of light, love, and goodness met her death in such cruelty, when the monsters of Hamas drag her to the darkness of the underworld? In what world do parents need to long for two terrible years to merit bringing their beloved daughter to burial? And how did this happen to us in the land of Israel, in our home?"
"For two years, these questions wrench the heart and don't let go. For two years, the sights of that terrible day accompany all of us, when we lie down and when we rise, and the shock doesn't subside. But now, when you are here, and have returned to this land together with other beloved brothers, and when our living brothers also returned to us from Hamas captivity now, perhaps we can begin to breathe a little."
"Of course – we must remember well that the mission is not complete, and that we must not rest nor be silent until the last of our deceased hostages merits proper rest in the homeland."
"Inbar arrived at the Nova Festival to support and accompany the participants, and to extend help to whoever needs it. A therapeutic and noble act. And when the cursed murderers came, Inbar fought them like a lioness with rare courage and boldness. The unique combination in her soul was revealed in full glory."
The president also addressed Haiman's family, "Yifat and Chaim, so beloved – throughout all the days of this campaign, from its very first days, we had the privilege to know you, to be amazed by you. You taught an entire nation what the love of a father and mother is, you taught us what devotion and perseverance are, and you taught us about the power of a noble goal and how much determination and greatness of spirit it brings out of a person. You raised a daughter of splendor, captivating, kind-hearted, brave, and full of beauty, and thus she will be forever engraved in all our memories, and in the history of the nation and the land."
President Herzog concluded his eulogy with an apology to Haiman and the other hostages and their families, "At this occasion, as president of the State of Israel, I ask from you, and from you Inbar, and from all our deceased hostages and their families, forgiveness. Forgiveness that we weren't there for you, forgiveness that we didn't succeed in rescuing, forgiveness that it took us such a long time to return you to us."
First Lady Michal Herzog added, "A tremendous privilege fell to our lot during these two black years, to know you, Yifat and Chaim, and Ido, Aunt Chana, and all the Haiman family. From the first meeting at the President's Residence, and until the brave embrace in recent days at the Nova site, at Hostages Square and in the Knesset, we met a family so delicate, noble and special, that is all devotion and love."
"You were and remain a pink beam of light in very dark, cloudy skies," the first lady said. "And it's clear that Inbar – or by one of her most known names: 'Pink' – drew from you so much beauty and sweetness, which continue to illuminate in the faces of all who love her. In many cultures, it is customary to wear black at such an occasion, but in Inbar's spirit – where the pink that glowed from her stood out so much – you made a beautiful and unique request that we come here dressed in pink. This day is a day of pain, but from here – in Inbar's spirit, we also dream of a new reality: of repair, of healing, of building. Thank you to Inbar and to all of you – the beloved Haiman family – for this precious lesson. May the memory of beloved Inbar be blessed forever, and may her blessed soul and spreader of goodness be bound in the bond of life."
Mother Yifat said, "I didn't believe, after two years, that you would finally return to us. We waited month after month, deal after deal, and in the end, you came last, because you are a personality who helps everyone, who simply waited for all the Nova people to come. My beautiful one, how does a mother part from her daughter after raising her for 27 years? How do you raise such an illuminated and beautiful girl, who helps everyone and always puts herself last. You also helped me, always telling me to do what's good for me, and that I'm the most beautiful in the world. We would sit in a café with phones aside, and you would tell me, 'This is mom time.'"
"We told each other the most hidden secrets," Yifat said. "You are my daughter and also my best friend, and thanks to you, I reconciled with your brother, and we are in the best relationship. And there's no one who doesn't meet you, and you didn't touch them. And everyone tells me that."
"How does a mother bury her daughter, whom she loves so much, full of color and love, who always saw the good in people?" Yifat called out. "How does such a pure girl stay only twenty-seven years? Wonderful, my beautiful one, we've been waiting since October 7 for you to return home. Now, after two terrible years, you've come home to us, and I can finally kiss you and say goodbye to you. My little angel, I promise you we will never forget you, and you will always be in our memory when we see a pink sunset. And I promise you will have a pink tombstone as I promised, so I can talk to you and put a candle and a flower for you."
Chaim, Inbar's father, eulogized, "How is a father supposed to eulogize his daughter? His child? This goes against nature. Children bury their parents, not the opposite. How can I say goodbye to you when I feel as though you're still alive? Thank you for the precious gift you left me that you are alive within me."
"You were a child of infinite giving," Chaim recounted. "A child of freedom, nature, light, and love. I remember the trips every Saturday. I remember you as a little girl. I remember making ponytails for you. If I had known, I would have made the most of every moment. When you chose to be a fighter, we tried to convince you not to do it. But you convinced us, and you became a fighter. You filled the world with your creations," he said. "Sorry it took us so much time to return you. I want to say thank you to the brave soldiers and to the people of Israel who were with us. Without them, we wouldn't have succeeded in bringing you back. We had hoped for a different outcome; even when we received the bitter news, we didn't give up. You always took care of everyone. I love you so much, my child, we will not forget and will not forgive. The struggle is not over until the last hostage is brought to burial. I promise I will come every day to be with you."
Her brother Ido also eulogized her, "My only sister, you are so much for the family and for me. You said you would teach me to do graffiti. Thanks to you, I dare, I explore, I learn." He also shared his longing for his sister, "I see you among the shadows, when I close my eyes, I see you. It's hard to talk about you in the past tense."
Inbar's partner, Noam Alon, also delivered a eulogy: "I'm so sorry for everything that happened to you, no one deserves this. I didn't want to speak too much; it's hard for me anyway. You made me feel things I didn't think I was worthy of. I learned to truly love, all thanks to you. I wanted to ask for forgiveness that I couldn't do more. I don't want them to remember you by the way your life ended. You were a living person, and everyone talks about you being dead for two years already. I want to remember you as you were a week before October 7. You had a crazy and exciting life. Your life was so short, but I'm comforted by the fact that you knew how to live more than anyone else. I will never forget you."
Noor Shani Tachan, Inbar's close friend, said, "I met Inbar in 12th grade in preparation for the service year. It was impossible not to know her. Two years ago, I was informed of your murder in Hamas captivity. I felt a pain that split my soul, that I didn't know I could feel at all. Until that moment, we thought you would return alive. Since October 7, I've met many of your friends. Your diversity is wide. You were a good person, despite being full of cynicism. You know how to hug, with all your height and your long arms."
