Haj, Atef

Atef, son of Hena and Atef Haj, was born in Magar, Galilee, on December 20, 1965. Atef was named after his father, who died a few months before his birth. Atef and his brother grew up in their grandparents’ home in Magar after the mother left the settlement. Although they grew up without parents, they had a warm home, where they were educated in rural Druze values. In 1984, Atef joined the IDF and served in the Border Police, in the Tulkarem area. In January 1987, after his regular service, Atef joined the Israel Police. He continued to serve in the Tulkarem area until 1992, when he moved to serve as a scout in Ma’aleh Ephraim.
Atef fell in the line of duty on 11 August 2014. He and two friends were killed in an accident while traveling abroad. Atef was laid to rest in the military section of the Magar cemetery. Atef was forty-nine when he fell. He left a wife, two sons, three daughters and a brother.