Shani Louk’s Father: Photo Shows ‘Darkness’ of Hamas

(Getty Images)

The father of murdered Israeli concertgoer Shani Louk appeared at a pro-Israel rally in New York on Monday and said the photo of his daughter’s lifeless body being displayed by Hamas terrorists shows the “darkness” Israel is facing.

Nissim Louk told The New York Post on Tuesday that the striking before-and-after photos of his 23-year-old daughter illustrate what’s at stake in the war between Israel and Hamas. One photo shows her dancing at a music festival and the other shows her half-naked body in the back of pickup truck after Hamas terrorists raided the event.

“This picture is very important because this picture shows from one side, Shani — beautiful, amazing, bright light to the world, and from the other side you see these militants in the pickup with machine guns that bring trouble and pain to the world, and nobody can mix these two pictures,” Nissim Louk told the Post.

The distraught father wanted Shani Louk to be remembered as a “beautiful girl” and “free spirt.”

“Wherever she went, she brought light and happiness,” he said. “You see that Shani is the light and that Shani is part of the Jewish people. We are the light. The other part is darkness. They bring pain to the world and suffering and that’s what happened to her. She died that day.”

Shani Louk was confirmed dead weeks later after initial reports that she may have survived. The image became one of the most memorable of the Oct. 7 massacre when Hamas militants slaughtered 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped 253.

“And whenever you don’t know who you are, you don’t know, Am I the bad guy? Am I the good guy? You don’t know. Look at these pictures and it immediately straightens everything out,” Nissim Louk said.

Louk had previously defended Associated Press photographer Ali Mahmud, who captured the image of his daughter’s body. The haunting photo took first place in the Pictures of the Year International award.

“It’s good that the photo won the prize,” Nissim said that the time. “This is one of the most important photos in the last 50 years.”