President Reuven Rivlin visited today the home of fallen police officer Erez Shaul Levi, who was killed in a ramming attack last week, to pay his condolences to the Levi family.
The President was accompanied during his visit by Erez's commanding officer, Eyal Azoulay.
"Erez was a veteran of the unit, the son of a policeman, who engaged in hundreds of assignments and always carried them out successfully," Azoulay said. "This decorated unit stands at the forefront of the fight against terrorism. Erez had a tremendous heart. He was a man who was all about giving. He worked so hard and still he volunteered for charities."
"I have heard that he was also a great and a devoted father," the President added. "This is a loss to the state no less than it is to the unit. You are servants of the people, and are at the forefront of our ability to cope with difficult challenges. So many people have come here and drawn strength from learning from the example of Erez. We are here to strengthen you."
"Erez raised a generation of soldiers. There was no one he met whom he did not try to recruit to the police service," Erez's widow, Clara Levy, said.
"President Rivlin replied: "The people of Israel raise their eyes to you, to the entire family. We are with you here in this difficult mourning. Together with him (Erez), we raise our eyes to the children, the children you and your beloved bore. For them, and for you, we have to be strong."
Rivlin hugged the family members and expressed his hope that better days were ahead of them.