A Month Before His Wedding, Capt. Maoz Yisrael Rekanti Is Laid to Rest

Capt. Maoz Yisrael Rekanti הי"ד, a platoon commander in Golani Battalion 12, was laid to rest today (Sunday) at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. The officer, who was from the community of Itamar, was killed on Friday in southern Lebanon after an explosive drone strike. Rekanti was set to marry his fiancée, Roni, in a month. He was 24 years old when he died.

His mother, Ayelet, eulogized her son: "How do you say goodbye to a child? You were born during the holiday of Sukkot, and right away we saw that you were something special, without crying. An amazing talent for improvisation, and a deep connection to home. You always ran from frameworks, you never did homework, but everyone fell in love with you. You had a remarkable ability to connect, rare powers of adaptation, a good heart, joyful, making everyone laugh, a leader, charismatic, inner quiet. You demanded of yourself Torah learning, modesty, to be a man of pure and spotless truth. In yeshiva we discovered everything about you, in the army even more so, excelling in everything."

"My Maozi, my child, my heart's beloved, you were the glue of the family. Everyone gathered when you arrived. Even in this most recent period, when you fought bravely, it was important to you to see the good. We chose to bury you in the soil of Jerusalem because you belonged to all of Israel, until your very last moment. Roni, we were blessed with you and Maoz was blessed with you; you will always be our daughter. How much he was waiting to build a home with you. We will yet merit to accompany you to your wedding canopy and to build a new home," his mother concluded.

His fiancée Roni eulogized him: "The first time we met, the very first thing I noticed was your eyes. Your good eyes. Everyone who saw you told me right away, 'His eyes look so kind.' You were never pressured by anything, you were never afraid of anything, always calm and serene. I was waiting so much for us to get married. For you to come and smile at me from the groom's chair. I was waiting for us to build a home together. I wanted to see you as the father of our children. You were so good with children—you connected with them in a second. I always said you would be the perfect father. You are the person with the biggest heart I ever knew. You never judged anyone. You always looked at everyone with a good eye, with a loving eye."

Lt. Col. Naor Amihai, deputy commander of the Golani Brigade, eulogized him on behalf of the IDF: "Maoz Yisrael, so much was already contained in your name. You were a support for everyone around you. The values that guided you throughout your service and later in your adult life were clear to you."

"You asked to be screened for the IDF's elite units. You wrote letters and insisted on taking on meaningful and challenging military service. You enlisted in the Egoz unit, and your commanders say that already during training, you stood out with your unique charm. You were always first. In runs, in marches, in carrying loads, and in every task that was required."

"Your teammates nicknamed you King David because of your modest way, your good character traits, and the way you knew how to lead the people around you. You aspired to expand your influence and the responsibility on your shoulders, and you went out to officer training, which you completed successfully. At the end of the course, we had the privilege of receiving you as a platoon commander in Battalion 12 of the Golani Brigade. You took command of a platoon that had known quite a few challenges, and through your style of leadership—at eye level, with listening and personal example—you succeeded in bringing the people together. To create bonds of trust and turn the platoon into a strong, professional, and cohesive unit."

Capt. Rekanti is the 20th IDF casualty since the start of the ground maneuver in Lebanon in Operation "Roaring Lion." He is survived by his parents, six siblings, and his fiancée, Roni.