A moment after the announcement of the fall of Ze'ev "Jabo" Ehrlich, may his memory be a blessing, photographer Chaim Goldberg shared this evening (Wednesday) the last photo of the famous Land of Israel researcher – taken shortly before he entered Lebanon with IDF forces.
"I first met the late Ze'ev Ehrlich the day before he entered Lebanon," Goldberg recounted. "He seemed like a special man to me, I took a picture of him and moved on. In hindsight, that was the last picture. How sad."
Ze'ev Erlich, 71, crossed into Lebanon with military forces without the proper authorization from the Northern Command. He was killed by Hezbollah gunfire in southern Lebanon, while an IDF soldier also died, and two others were injured in the same incident. Early reports suggest that an officer from an IDF battalion operating in Lebanon allowed Erlich to enter the area without securing the necessary permit from Northern Command officials. Although Erlich was not on active duty at the time of his death, the IDF has retroactively recognized him as a major in reserves.
The circumstances surrounding his entry into southern Lebanon are under investigation. According to an initial IDF inquiry, Col. Yoav Yarom, the chief of staff of the Golani Brigade, permitted Erlich to enter the region's western sector to study an ancient fortress site. Erlich, who was armed and wearing IDF uniform, was not an active soldier or in reserves at the time.
Despite this, the IDF is posthumously honoring him as a fallen soldier and is thoroughly investigating this "serious incident," pledging to examine all factors that led to the civilian's unauthorized entry into southern Lebanon.
