For the "Kahalani of 10/7" dreams have changed: "In my story I am the hero, but I am the failure"

Bar Zonshine, a 23-year-old tank company commander on October 7 who was dubbed "the Kahalani of 10/7," tells in an interview for the "Where Are They Today" project how his life has changed. Three years later, he still serves in the military, grappling with a sense of failure over his four soldiers who were abducted and his failure to reach Nir Oz in time, and speaks about a new relationship and a shift in his outlook on life.

Bar Zonshine, a tank company commander in Battalion 77 of the 7th Brigade in the Kissufim sector, was 23 years old on October 7, 2023. He fought for two and a half days, and at one point his tank was the only one in a 19-kilometer sector. Four of his soldiers from Tank 3 were abducted: Omer Neutra, Oz Daniel, Shaked Dahan, and Nimrod Cohen. His combat story led to him being called "the Kahalani of October 7." Three years later, at age 26, Zonshine still serves in the military. He studied law and was called back to combat, wounded twice. He describes a deep sense of failure: "In my story I am the hero, but I am the failure." He refuses to give himself a break, saying he did not fulfill his mission to protect the residents of the Gaza envelope. Two images accompany him daily: his soldiers' tank and Kibbutz Nir Oz, which he did not reach in time. In the past year, he has been in a relationship with Neta, whom he met at a military conference. He describes how October 7 changed his worldview: "It aged me a lifetime." He feels like he is "playing civilian" when not in the military. The interview is published as part of the "Where Are They Today" project by ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth.