Nissim talked about his daughter at several synagogues during his time in the US over the last few days before appearing along with roughly 1,000 people Monday to celebrate the 76th anniversary of Israel’s independence, which he called an “amazing miracle” following the Holocaust.
By Dorian Geiger and David Propper
(May 14, 2024 / NYP) The father of murdered Israeli concert-goer Shani Louk appeared Monday night at a pro-Israel rally in Times Square, where he said the enduring image of her lifeless body being paraded around by Hamas terrorists illustrates the “darkness” the Jewish state is fighting against.
Nissim Louk told The Post that before-and-after photos of his 23-year-old German Israeli daughter on Oct. 7 — which appeared in countless newspapers the next day — emphasize what’s at stake in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
One photo shows the young tattoo artist joyfully dancing at a music festival in Israel and the other shows her half-naked body in the back of a pickup truck after Hamas militants stormed the event.
“This picture is very important because this picture shows from one side, Shani — beautiful, amazing, bright light to the world, and from the other side you see these militants in the pickup with machine guns that bring trouble and pain to the world and nobody can mix these two pictures,” he said in an exclusive interview.
“And whenever you don’t know who you are, you don’t know: ‘Am I the bad guy? Am I the good guy?’ You don’t know. Look at these pictures — and it immediately straightens everything out.
“You see that Shani is the light and that Shani is part of the Jewish people. We are the light. The other part is darkness. They bring pain to the world and suffering and that’s what happened to her,” he continued. “She died that day.”
Nissim previously defended an Associated Press photographer who snapped pictures of the grim scene of his daughter’s mangled body in the back of the pickup. He called it one of the most important photos of the last 50 years.
The heartbroken dad, who flew into New York last Thursday, remembered Shani as a “beautiful girl” and “free spirit” on Monday.
“Wherever she went, she brought light and happiness,” he added.
The body of Shani Louk is later seen in the back of Hamas terrorists’ pickup truck after the festival.
Shani Louk became one of the most recognizable faces of the Oct. 7 massacre when Hamas terrorists killed 1,200 Israelis and took more than 200 others hostage in Gaza.
The young woman was confirmed dead weeks later after earlier reports indicated she might have survived the initial attack.
Nissim talked about his daughter at several synagogues during his time in the US over the last few days before appearing along with roughly 1,000 people Monday to celebrate the 76th anniversary of Israel’s independence, which he called an “amazing miracle” following the Holocaust.
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, who spoke at Monday’s event, said attendees remembered the Israeli soldiers who have died since 1948, as well as the victims of Hamas’ attack last year, before they celebrated the creation of the Jewish state.
“What are we doing here? We’re showing that Jewish people are alive, well, unafraid, un-scared, frickin’ visible, in your face, in the street, in New York City, baby, in Times Square. It was epic,” the rabbi told The Post.
A Jewish couple who also traveled from Brooklyn to Manhattan said it’s important to show that the Jewish people are “alive and vibrant.”
“We’re here to stay to share in our Jewish pride and to celebrate the day that Israel got its independence,” 30-year-old Moshe Gitler said.
“It’s really an independence for all of us. Israel makes us Jews feel safe.”
This article was originally published in the New York Post and can be viewed here.