"The feelings are very difficult. To the community here, to Safed. For us as family, my wife and children. Everyone wraps us in love. Uri Yitzhak - a cute alam who was always there for everyone. They always say the phrase God takes the best, but it really is. He knows everything, he did everything, he was for everyone. Through his country, respect, love of others and the value of the land."
The fighters who fell in the attack on the Egyptian border, photo: IDF Spokesperson, Dudu Greenspan
Thus, with great pain, Shai, father of Uri Yitzhak Iluz (19.5, Safed), eulogized his son who was killed yesterday (Saturday) in an attack on the Egyptian border, together with Sergeant Lia Ben Nun (19, Rishon LeZion) and First Sergeant Ohad Dahan (20, Ofakim).
Uri Yitzhak's father, who was killed in an attack on the Egyptian border, was eulogized for his son | David Cohen
Shai recounted the last time he spoke to his son. "Our last call was on Friday at five o'clock in the evening. I sent him a message - he told me 'don't disturb me', send a message and if I can I will reply. I texted him, I said, 'We didn't talk much this week, and not a minute passed, and he called and we talked about last week. It was tough, a lot of work, as usual. He asked what about me, what about everyone, talked to everyone every day."
Was on his way to an officers' course
The pained father went on to tell about his late son Uri's future plans in the army, which were cut short too soon. "I told him that I was glad that yesterday he told my mother that he had finally decided what was asked of him - that he go to an officers' course. I told him, I'm proud - my father told me, I'm leaving the unit to change things here - I'll be an officer in the IDF, and I asked him a question: 'Next Saturday, you're coming, right? You don't go on 16/5.' He told me, 'No father, my soldiers have left and I have to stay. I have to be here.'"
The area of the incident on the Egyptian border, photo: Dudu Greenspan
"It's Uri," Shai said, "who takes time off for the memorial service of his grandfather, for whom he is named, and then returns to the army, and when it was my aunt's birthday, I told him to come and take more time off. He said, 'Dad, I have to be for the soldiers.' He gave a preparatory year of his life in preparation for the IDF. He was active in the center of action and touched every person. Uri Yitzhak is an inspirational model for everyone, never did bad to anyone, was loved by everyone, scion of a large family. A community family, an action family, a giving family. Everyone sitting here next to you is all people of action and giving, from big to small, and I also do what I can for the community and the neighborhood, but Uri is the main thing."
The father shared more of his personal experience in the army. "I've been in the army for 32 years. Until a year ago, I served in the most difficult places in the IDF. I know what a border is. There is no easy limit. You don't sleep at night as a father, there's no easy limit, and here's the proof that came in, because it doesn't matter where it happens from. Whether it's from Israel, from terror attacks in Jerusalem, or from this border that took three flowers. It is a grave injustice that we do not know how to move on."
How important is it for you to understand what happened there?
"I will respect my son. This is the hardest day of my life. I will honor my son at shiva, he deserves all the respect in the world. I trust the IDF. I grew up in this system and fed on it for many years. I'm not dealing with the questions right now. Rest assured that both my commanders who are senior IDF commanders and soldiers who became commanders and were here yesterday and remain here even now will know how to give the exact answers, but I don't intend to answer any questions."
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