The funeral of slain police officer Baruch Mizrahi, a high-ranking officer in the intelligence division, was held at Har Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
Mizrahi's youngest son Itai tearfully opened the funeral, by reading kaddish (the Jewish prayer for the dead) and the traditional prayer of el male rachamim.
Baruch's wife Hadassah also gave an emotional eulogy.
"Instead of growing old together and enjoying the changing of the seasons, I lost the love of my life through the bang of a bullet," Hadassah said. "The children cry and can't believe it. Who will love them unconditionally and be a role model for them?"
"My love, our children will grow up in your footsteps, and you will be with us," she continued. "We part in body, but not in soul."
Head of Investigations and Intelligence Commander Manny Yitzhaki said that Mizrahi dedicated his life to the State of Israel.
Baruch "quietly and secretly thwarted violent incidents, by directing intelligence, using cyber-warfare, the SIGINT unit, and other technological tools," Yitzhaki said.
Head of the Intelligence Division, Brigadier General Guy Nir said Mizrahi had "many talents [and was] imbued with purpose and light, infused with true passion for the success of many projects [. . ] and believed with all his heart, all his soul, in fighting crime and saving lives.”
“Baruch arrived here from the army to the Intelligence Division and soon we discovered that we had a real asset - a professional authority, with values, a real man fighting fiercely for the people of Israel with his professional knowledge," he added.
Police Commissioner Yochanan Danino commended Mizrahi for his lifelong dedication to the security of the State of Israel.
"Throughout his life, Baruch worked in civil service and contributed greatly to the security [of the State of Israel] and the security of its citizens," Danino said.
"His fellow soldiers say that Baruch loved the country - without a drop of cynicism - and devoted his entire life to it," Danino continued. "Baruch stood out as a a professional and hard-working officer. He was highly motivated - he could lead and harness [all] his subordinates to success - which he always did through his characteristic modesty, wisdom, and generosity."
"Recently, Baruch was [recognized as] one of the leaders of change and reform in the Israel Police, especially in SIGINT technologies, and in turning the unit into a professional and modern division,bringing the police in line with leaders in the field [of defense technology] worldwide," Danino added.
"Unfortunately, we cannot bring Baruch back to us, but his legacy will remain with us and continue to accompany us down the road. The Israeli police salutes Baruch for his significant contribution to the organization and the state - which why we decided to promote him in rank and grant him the rank of Commander, which he certainly deserves."
Danino also addressed the Mizrahi family.
"To the dear Mizrahi family - no words we can say can bring you comfort over the loss of Baruch," Danino said. "Your loss is our loss, your pain is our pain, we embrace you warmly in your hardest hours. You are an integral part of us, an integral part of the family of the Israeli Police."
"On this occasion, we all pray for the recovery of [Baruch's] wife Hadassah and son Itai," he continued. "Hadassah, though we met under tragic circumstances, I know you [now] as a strong and brave woman, and in our conversations after the incident you have impressed me with your strength of spirit and dedication to protecting your children."
Mizrahi was driving to Kiryat Arba for a seder meal with his pregnant wife and three of his children on Monday, when a terrorist opened fire on the family car, killing him and leaving his wife moderately to severely wounded.
Mizrahi served as head of the Technology Division in the Sigint Unit, part of the Intelligence Brigade in the Investigations and Intelligence Branch.
Israel's army and police were still hunting for the suspected gunman on Wednesday, after carrying out extensive searches around Idhna.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu condemned the murder as "the result of the incitement to hatred by Palestinian Authority leaders who continue to peddle hate-filled material against Israel."