Shimon Portal, a policeman, had led many battles which he had fought and won, but on the morning of Simchat Torah 2023, he fought a different kind of battle, the battle of a father. Shimon is a clever and determined policeman, but he is also a family man, and a man with a big heart. On the morning of the terrible Shabbat when war broke out, Shimon received reports of terrorist attempts to take over a police station in Sderot. He arrived at the station immediately and took part in the fierce battle against the terrorists who tried to take over the police station.
At some point, right in the middle of the fighting, he received a message on his phone. It was from Neta, his daughter in Kibbutz Kfar Aza: "Dad, there are terrorists here. Send us help."
Within a few minutes another message arrived from Neta: "I have been injured."
Shimon understood that he needed to get to his daughter. He rushed to his car and drove towards the kibbutz. On the road he was traveling there was gunfire from all sides, but he did not give up. His car was already damaged but he continued to drive into the kibbutz. He knew he had to get to his daughter, no matter what.
When he entered the kibbutz, he faced terrorists, shot them, and left the kibbutz again to prepare for battle against them. He located other policemen who could join him in fighting the terrorists and they entered the kibbutz again. Shimon almost reached Neta, but just before he got to her house, he saw three small children and a young couple running away. Shimon put them in his car and rushed them out of the kibbutz quickly, along with two wounded people he picked up, while his daughter Neta was still waiting for him.
Shimon evacuated the survivors and returned, not giving up. Neta meanwhile escaped from her house shortly before the terrorists arrived, and found a hiding place with her partner. Shimon located them and brought injured Neta and her partner to safety. Shimon is a policeman and a heroic father, who with determination and bravery saved the lives of many, on his way to successfully saving the life of his daughter Neta as well.
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