Odeya Ben Shitrit, whose brother, Petty Officer 1st Class David Moshe, was killed on Sunday when an interceptor missile hit his navy patrol ship, spoke about her brother on Monday and how he was willing to risk his life to save others.
In an interview with Kan Reshet Bet, she recalled: "He was in love with Israel. He would always say, 'I have no problem dying so you can live.' That was his final will. Before he fell we fought, I will never be able to hug him again."
She shared the moment she was informed of his death: "They called us and said that he was very severely wounded. I was at work, but I knew that it wasn't normal since he was wounded and two cars stopped in front of the house. When we arrived at the hospital they informed us that he passed during the surgery. My parents and I were there, my sisters came later. I'm trying to find the right words. I can't digest it.
"Before he fell we fought," she shared. "He was three years younger than me, but we weren't the best of friends. I will never be able to hug my brother again and tell him that I'm sorry. If there are siblings who are listening to this, they should know that family is everything. We are in such a crazy reality. You can't know who may walk out the door and never come back. Hold on to your family, so there won't be any regret. I will never be able to hug my brother again."
She added: "My brother was a Zionist hero. He loved the uniform, the flag, the fleet, and the military. He was in love with Israel. In the end, he died while shielding this land with his body. We came from a religious family. I decided I wanted to be a combat soldier and he revered me for that. He would always tell me that it's a privilege to serve in the IDF. He would come home happy. He would go everywhere with his gun and uniform. We would laugh at him."
David Moshe had plans for after his service: "Last week he told my mother that he will fly to the Ozora Festival and dance there 'like he never danced in his life,'" she recounted. "He was a cheerful boy. He was so happy. Yesterday, when I uploaded pictures to Instagram, the comments filled up with millions of stories from people who knew him. 10 minutes and he became their world."