Salman’s story — as a high-ranking Druze officer deeply connected to both his heritage and his Jewish comrades — resonated across communities.
In a modest event space in Tel Aviv last Thursday evening, families, soldiers, authors, and educators gathered for a ceremony both heartbreaking and heartwarming: the launch of “The Gifts of Salman,” a bilingual children’s book commemorating fallen Israeli officer Lt. Col. Salman Habaka.
The book, written in both Hebrew and Arabic, was penned by his aunt, Kawakib Safe, and is based on Salman’s love for language, nature, and family — values he lived by and ultimately died for.
“His house was filled with books — on leadership, history, culture,” Kawakib told The Press Service of Israel at the launch. “He believed in words. He believed in teaching. This book is for his son, and for every child who wants to know who Salman was.