29 years after soldier Nachshon Waxman’s murder, his mother passes away 

Esther Waxman, the mother of the soldier Nachshon Waxman, who was kidnapped and murdered in 1994, passed away today at the age of 76. Her funeral will be held tonight at 23:00 on Har Hamenuchot in Jerusalem. About five years ago, Yehuda Waxman, the father of Nachshon Waxman, passed away.

Nachshon Waxman fell in 1994, after being held hostage for six days, and was eventually murdered by Hamas terrorists.

Waxman hitchhiked a ride with the terrorists who were disguised as religioius Jews, who then kidnapped him. He was filmed with a gun to his head, asking Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to release Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, another of 200 other security prisoners, so that he would not be executed.

On Friday, October 14, 1994, a few hours before the terrorists' ultimatum was due to expire, General Staff forces broke into the house where he was being held. The force eliminated the terrorists, but Waxman was killed with his hands and feet shackled. Twelve of the Sayeret fighters were wounded, and the squad commander, Lieutenant Colonel Poraz, who broke through at the head of the force, was killed.

The late Esther, who passed away today, spoke in an interview with the Maariv newspaper about the difficult days of her life.

According to her, Rabin arrived at their home before Nachshon's funeral. "Rabin said: 'I am taking all the responsibility on me.' He came to us on Saturday night, just before we buried Nachshon. Yehuda asked everyone to leave the room, including then-Chief of Staff Ehud Barak, who was at our house. My husband wanted to be alone in the room with Rabin."

"He told him: 'You're responsible, you didn't prepare the operation well, you didn't do everything you could.' Rabin came out crying. I was a little embarrassed. Rabin came out of my husband crying, took responsibility, and I know he felt very bad. When he left the house, the neighbors shouted: 'Traitor, traitor.' Since the assassination, Rabin has called us every Friday night and holiday. We were in a very close relationship with him."