In Woody Allen’s 1983 satirical mockumentary “Zelig,” the main character Leonard Zelig, played by Allen, is a dull man who, out of his desire to fit in and be liked, unwittingly takes on the characteristics of strong personalities around him.
Meet Roi Yifrach, 36, father of two, who traveled to the south on October 7 and presented himself as a reserve soldier. For the two months that followed, he fought in Gaza, taking part in the most difficult battles in the Rimal neighborhood, Beit Hanun, and Shuja’iyya and killing some 20 terrorists, if he is to be believed, until he was arrested two weeks ago on suspicion of impersonating a combat soldier.
In the indictment, the state attributes to him several criminal offenses, including stealing a weapon and fraudulently obtaining an item under aggravating circumstances, or, in other words, pretending to be a fighter. However, Yifrach refuses to admit these charges, complaining that “instead of being seen as a hero, they present me as a criminal.”
The indictment against him alleges, among other things, that Yifarach mispresented himself as a military sapper and a fighter in the police special force and the Shin Bet, even though he never served a day in his life in the army.
He appears in many photo-ops standing very close to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu when the latter visited the southern front. “Where was the VIP security unit? Where was the Shin Bet? Where was Mossad?” Yifrach demands to know. “I was the one who took the Chief of Staff into the tunnel, I opened a shaft for him.”
“The state is trying to silence the story, and they are looking for a scapegoat. I’m the scapegoat,” said Yifarch, who says he was part of a high-level meeting at the front with the head of Shin Bet, the Chief of Staff, and several senior officers, deep inside Gaza.
Speaking through his attorney, he said: “They slandered my name for no reason and made me out to be a bad person, but that’s not true. I really defended the country, and I was here for the country. If I only wanted to steal a weapon, I’d go home, I wouldn’t stay there another two months to fight. I came for one purpose – to protect the people of Israel, to protect my people.”
“I killed more than 20 terrorists,” he added. Does it matter who you are or what you are if you end up defending your country? I don’t regret anything; I would do it again 300 times.”
A search of his home and vehicle revealed a rifle, stun and smoke grenades, activation mechanisms for explosive charges, cartridges, a military computer, radios, a ceramic vest, a drone, and other military equipment.
His attorney argued that “the uniform was purchased by him or distributed to the fighters by donors and the weapon is his personal weapon, and he carries a valid permit, no one disputes that.”
Two United Hatzalah volunteers told Ynet that Yifrach had been at it at least a year before October 7. “He has been driving a Savannah vehicle like the special forces for over a year. He constantly posted photos and videos from various activities in Judea and Samaria. The military computer that was seized from him was on him for a very long time, as were some of the radios. We believe he was doing deliveries for a spice shop in Ramat Gan.”
