Rabbi Perez Publishes 'Smallest Nation, Largest Family' After Two-Year Search for Son's Body
The World Zionist Organization president details the personal cost of the October 7 war and argues that familial bonds define Jewish identity more than religion or nationality.
By Beatriz Soto ·
Rabbi Doron Perez, president of the World Zionist Organization and chairman of the World Mizrachi movement, released his new book Smallest Nation, Largest Family on Friday. The work centers on the argument that the Jewish people constitute a family, a bond Perez identifies as the foundational element of Jewish identity.
The book draws heavily on Perez’s experience during the war that began with the October 7 attacks. His son, Daniel, served as a tank commander in the 7th Armored Brigade. Daniel died in battle on October 7 while defending Kibbutz Nahal Oz.
Hamas took Daniel’s body and held it hostage for two years. Perez’s family did not learn of his death until March 17, 2024. On that date, the Israel Defense Forces provided video evidence confirming the commander’s fate. The family initially buried his bloodstained uniform shirt on Mount Herzl, a ritual performed in hopes of his return.
The search for Daniel concluded on October 13, 2025, coinciding with the return of the final group of living hostages. Perez watched the events on television and received a message from a friend in Cape Town. The message read, "We may be the smallest nation in the world, but we are the largest family." That night, on Simchat Torah, Daniel’s body was returned to Israel.
A second funeral took place at Mount Herzl. During the eulogy, Perez stated that the future of Israel holds greater importance than the future of Gaza. He argued that clarity within the nation would assist in resolving issues abroad.
Perez noted that the phrase used in the message from Cape Town was later quoted by President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He views the national effort to recover hostages as comparable to Abraham’s quest to save his nephew Lot, describing it as a powerful expression of familial instinct.
In the text, Perez describes the Jewish people as both a religion and a nation, but primarily a family. He cites the Book of Genesis to emphasize the role of founding mothers alongside fathers. The book also references the 1911 case of Mendel Beilis in Kyiv, who was falsely accused of ritual murder. The global Jewish community rallied to Beilis’s defense, proving to Perez that an unknown Jew remains a brother to the entire people.
Perez points to the return of 100,000 Israelis to fight in the early weeks of the 2023 war as evidence of this kinship. Many left vacations in locations such as Goa to rejoin their homeland. He believes this demonstrates that Jews are fighting for their home and family, not just their country. He contrasts this drive with the confusion of non-Jewish observers who could not understand the rush to return to a war zone.
The leader expresses pain when Israeli leaders speak harshly of one another, noting that enemies like Hamas and Iran do not distinguish between different types of Jews. He argues that political opponents should not be viewed as enemies. Perez points to the Passover Seder’s "Four Sons" passage as a model for respecting different viewpoints within a single family table.
Perez acknowledges that the rise in global antisemitism has forced Jews in the Diaspora to confront their identity. He notes that Jews in America, Canada, and Australia have felt the impact of the conflict. He sees this opposition as an opportunity to rediscover Jewish tradition. The book concludes with ten suggestions for building a healthy society, including the practice of humility and the need for internal healing for both the individual and the nation.
