Interior Minister Moshe Arbel (Shas) has decided to grant permanent residency to Hamid Abu Arar, who lost his wife in the October 7 attack on Israel, and saved dozens of IDF soldiers that same day.
On October 7, Hamid and his wife were shot by Hamas terrorists as they drove in their vehicle. Hamid's wife, an Israeli citizen, was murdered in the shooting, and Hamid himself was injured. Immediately after the shooting, despite his own injuries, Hamid contacted IDF soldiers and warned them of the impending attack, endangering his own life but saving dozens of soldiers.
Following his wife's murder, Hamid was left to care for his nine children, minor Israeli citizens, on his own. Some of his children have medical challenges.
The proposition submitted by the Committee to Minister Arbel reads, "This is someone who experienced one of the worst terror attacks the State of Israel has known, and whose pregnant wife was murdered in cold blood by despicable terrorists, in front of his eyes."
"In a case of this type, the State of Israel cannot remain indifferent and uninvolved in the fact that the family unit includes nine minor children, Israeli citizens who were left orphaned from their mother, and the requester has remained the only figure of support for his children."
Minister Arbel said, "This day is an important day, in which we show the world that we are in a battle against evil, against darkness, and that our partnership as sons of Abraham is strong and courageous."
"The courageous action which you took, while endangering your life a few minutes after they murdered your wife in cold blood in front of you, and saving the lives of dozens of soldiers - these actions of yours and, and your words, have touched everyone's hearts. Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers are all indebted to you. The Interior Ministry thanks you and declares you an integral part of the State of Israel."
Arbel added, "I see it as a great merit to be the one to give you your identity card. The news that you and your children are an integral part of the Israeli identity is good news for the State and all its citizens."
In a video published of Hamid about a month after the massacre, he told "Did you see the horizon lately?" that when he understood that his wife would not live, he told her, "Fatma, there is no god other than Allah and Mohammed is his prophet." He explained, "She managed to repeat the sentence four times, on the fifth time she already didn't manage to complete [the sentence]."