the Israeli officer giving Venezuelan earthquake survivors ho

In the Home Front Command aid delegation operating in the earthquake-hit area of Venezuela, one reserve officer has stood out as an angel of hope for many residents. He is Avi Cohen (39), a structural engineer from Giv'at Shmuel who has served for years in the search and rescue unit as a senior academic professional officer, the rank equivalent to a lieutenant. These days, Cohen is the person telling families whose homes were damaged by the quake whether their buildings are safe to live in or whether, unfortunately, the structures are dangerous and must be demolished. So far, fortunately for him, the good news has outweighed the bad. In one case, after he informed residents of a large apartment building that the structure was sound and they could return home, the residents burst into tears, hugged him and thanked him for the news.