Einat Avitan, mother of fallen IDF soldier Yair Avitan, wrote following eulogy for her son:
''My beloved eldest son, Yair. You were born on the 2nd of Av. In a little over a month, we were supposed to celebrate your 21st birthday.
''You excelled in everything, in school, in the clubs you attended, in the Scouts, and in the army.
"The main thing that characterized you above all was giving, love of humanity, and the constant desire to help and assist. You adhered to the path your father and I led you on with dedication and determination. You worked hard to be a combat soldier, to be on the front line, to look the enemy in the eye and decide the battle. You wanted to lead, to command, as a combat soldier who leads the charge and knows our purpose in this land.
"You were a model and an object of admiration among everyone around you, and perhaps it wasn’t just a matter of our upbringing. Perhaps there was also an issue of the connection between your birthday on the 2nd of Av and the day we performed your circumcision, the 9th of Av.
"The nine days leading up to Tisha B'Av symbolize for the Jewish people days of correction and deep soul-searching regarding the unconditional love of others.
"You, Yair, knew how to channel this love throughout the almost 21 years of your life. You left behind an impression of how to maintain unconnditional love.
"Our people, my beloved son, have not yet reached your level in this regard. They do not grasp what unconditional love is.
"You and your heroic and holy friends entered a war against your will, a war that started because of baseless hatred. You are the sign and example that the IDF is not just the army of the people, it is mainly the army of God. And do you know why? Let me explain to you and to everyone here who came to accompany you. God loves the soldiers most in the world. The soldiers of the IDF. You are heroic and holy soldiers not just because you protect our holy land, but mainly because you have a role to teach the people how to create unconditional love.
"You, our beloved soldiers, are the eternal proof that it is possible to live together, right and left, Sephardic and Ashkenazi, all for one purpose: to live in security. Whoever doesn’t understand that the IDF is a holy army, the holy of holies, does not understand what the Torah of Israel is.
"You, Yair, understood. You were educated in virtues, values, and love for the Torah.
"Last Thursday, before you entered Gaza, I asked you, j'Yair, how you were doing.' And you answered 'okay'. Why are you sad, I asked? 'I’m not sad', you answered, 'I’m tired'."
"I told you, Yair, enter Gaza with joy, with head held high, do not fear at all, wear tzitzit, distribute the tzitzit you obtained to all the soldiers, say ‘there is none other than Him’, ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One’, and the Lord will be with you. I blessed you with all possible blessings. You didn’t last long in this round in the accursed Shujaiya.
"You completed your mission exactly as required in the Torah portion of the week in which you were killed. 'Speak to the children of Israel and you shall say to them that they shall make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments, throughout their generations, and they shall affix a thread of sky blue [wool] on the fringe of each corner. This shall be fringes for you, and when you see it, you will remember all the commandments of the Lord to perform them, and you shall not wander after your hearts and after your eyes after which you are going astray. So that you shall remember and perform all My commandments and you shall be holy to your God. I am the Lord, your God, Who took you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the Lord, your God.'
"You distributed tzitzit to everyone. You are sacred. You are Mom and Dad's hero. You will always be our king of the world. Always with the most perfect smile, like in the pictures and our memories.
"Wherever you go, you are Mom and Dad’s. You will always be ours. May your memory be blessed.
"I call from here upon all the chief rabbis of Israel, gather the people every week for massive prayers across the country, this is your true task, to unite the people! Do not stop the massive public prayers, for the sake of the soldiers' safety, show the strength of our people through adherence to our heritage and Judaism!
"And on the other hand, I call on the Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, and all the Jewish members of the Knesset, wherever they are from, right and left, unite for the people, for victory, put your pride and ego aside, this is not the time to quarrel.
"Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, you are the leader democratically elected to represent the State of Israel in these difficult days, take command, just like your brother Yoni (of blessed memory), do not fear at all, unite the people in love without reason, love for others, attack the enemy with strength.
"And finally, beloved commanders and soldiers of the 890th Battalion, my family and I embrace you with a big hug. We will not stop praying for you day and night until victory. Hold your heads high! Do not let your spirits fall! You knew my son Yair, you knew that what guided him in life was joy. Attack the enemy with courage and valor, do not fear at all. The people of Israel live! There is none other than He! Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One!"