We will never forget

The families of the three murdered Israeli teens conducted separate services and eulogies before laying their children side-by-side in a joint funeral in the Modi’in cemetery on Tuesday.

Thousands gathered together in the home communities of Gil-ad Sha’ar, 16; Naftali Frenkel, 16; and Eyal Yifrach, 19, whose bodies were discovered on Monday evening not far from the site where they were abducted in Gush Etzion by Hamas terrorists nearly three weeks ago.

Israel’s government ministers spoke at each of the services.

“The song of their lives was stopped. They were kidnapped and murdered just because they are Jews,” Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said at the service for Eyal Yifrach in Elad.

“Even in these hours, our security forces are looking for their murderers and we will not rest until we find them. Before us stands a cruel enemy, a terror organization that seeks to kill us. But we will not be afraid and they will pay a heavy price.”

Finance Minister Yair Lapid spoke at Gil-ad Sha’ar’s service in Talmon and Education Minister Shay Piron spoke at Naftali Frenkel’s service in Nof Ayalon. Both ministers spoke of the unity of the nation of Israel in the face of the terrible tragedy.

“We will find the killers and punish them. The real revenge will be in the ability to bridge the gaps between us,” said Lapid. “We need each other on this day. We need one another, not anger, we need no further split, we need love, a common language,” said Lapid. “We are mourning a life which will not be actualized.”

“I remembered all the times we argued, how you would wake me up in the mornings to go to school,” said Shirel Sha’ar, Gil-ad’s sister with her mother holding her.

“I told the nation of Israel how much I will miss wrapping you in my tallit during the blessing of the Cohanim; now that tallit is wrapping your body today,” said Gil-ad’s father, Ophir Sha’ar, in a breaking voice. “I believe your story will be told for generations. I was able to speak to you an hour before you set home and heard your loving voice. Your sisters loved and were proud of their only brother.”