Major Yuval Ezra Laid to Rest: "The Kind of Person Who Walked Into a Room and Filled It With Light"

Major Yuval Ezra of Herzliya was laid to rest today (Sunday) at the military cemetery in Beit Dagan. Yuval was killed in the terror attack that took place on the outskirts of the village of Tel, in the Shechem area, during a hiking trip by a group of Israelis. Alongside him, Master Sergeant (res.) Benyahu Melet, of blessed memory, 32, from Havat Gilad, a father of two daughters and a member of the local emergency response team, was also killed. Two other civilians were wounded in the attack, including one who was evacuated by helicopter in serious condition.

At the funeral, Ezra was accompanied by family members, friends, and loved ones, who said goodbye in pain. His mother eulogized him through tears: "My Yuvalush, I can’t believe I’m sitting here writing to you. The constant smile that never left your lips, there wasn’t a single person who didn’t fall in love with you immediately. You touched so many people, you had such an impact, and you loved it so much. You are in our hearts forever. We said goodbye in Shura, I kissed you, I love you, my child. Thank you."

His fiancée, Timor, eulogized him: "You were my whole world, and I was your whole world. I want to say thank you. Thank you for the most beautiful years you gave me."

His older brother, Ariel, also said goodbye: "We were like twin brothers. He was the best friend in the world. He is the pride of this home. A hero of Israel, a role model. The number of people here proves what we already knew."

His sister described him as an extraordinary person and spoke about the void he left behind: "Yuval, my little brother, there are not enough words. It’s hard for me to speak as if you’re no longer here. You are this world’s greatest loss. A huge list of people will go on speaking about you. You were an angel even in your lifetime, a people person and someone who was all goodness." She added: "For a long and significant part of your life, you belonged to us and to the army, to your soldiers. That was your essence, and that was the person you were."

She also spoke about his role as a commander and the special bond he had with those under his command: "Even during your service, we heard about the place you held in the lives of your soldiers. As one of three siblings, you were the best, the kind of person who walked into a room and immediately filled it completely with his incredible smile. From now on, we will always be missing someone. Two — but always three. I was blessed to call you my brother. It’s impossible to truly convey what it feels like to live alongside a person who has no evil in him at all. Now all we have left is to hold onto every moment and never let go. I was blessed that you were by my side through so many moments in your life, and despite the difficulties because of the army, you always came."