The song Twenty Thousand Men was written a few years ago inspired by the mass funeral by Israelis who gathered when they heard that the killed IDF fighter, Sean Carmeli, was a "lone soldier".

Carmeli was a 21 year old American citizen, who was killed in a shoot out with Hamas terrorists in Gaza. He immigrated to Israel from Texas while in high school. After graduating, he stayed in Israel and enlisted to the IDF.

Carmeli’s parents decided to move to Israel after his death.

The "One Family" website wrote about the special funeral: "There had been concerns that the lone soldier, who split his time between Ra’anana and South Padre Island, Texas, where his Israeli parents live, wouldn’t have enough people paying their final respects at his funeral. Since Carmeli was a huge fan of Maccabi Haifa, the soccer team posted a photo of Carmeli on its Facebook page after his death, asking fans to go, so that his funeral wouldn’t be deserted. The team also announced that it would have two buses waiting at the cemetery to bring people back to the country’s center, after the 11 pm service. Tens of thousands of people arrived at Carmeli’s funeral to say a final goodbye to the soldier.

'20,000 people':

Twenty thousand men and you first
Twenty thousand people after you Sean
Walking quietly with flowers
Two sisters-twenty thousand brothers

Soccer fans who came with the group's scarves
And a girl with a flag
It is not clear to her why she's crying so
Without knowing you

Twenty thousand men and you first
Twenty thousand people after you Sean
Walking quietly with flowers
Two sisters twenty thousand brothers

They came to say thanks and say goodbye
To say that there is no such thing as a lone soldier
And not alone will he dwell
As long as there are in Texas, Haifa, and Gush Etzion
People love you Sean

Twenty thousand men and you first
Twenty thousand people after you Sean
Walking quietly with flowers
Two sisters twenty thousand brothers

Who makes peace in His heights
Make peace upon us
When autumn comes, you will not see Sean
That's why they came here from old to young
From Haifa, from Gush Etzion

Twenty thousand people
And you first
Twenty thousand people after you Sean
Walking quietly with flowers
Two sisters twenty thousand brothers