Hundreds of people arrived to pay last respects to Benayahu Melet, 32, as he was laid to rest at the cemetery in Havat Gilad.
Attending the funeral were Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, Chief Rabbi of Tzfat; Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan; ministers, and MKs.
Esther, Benayahu's wife, eulogized him: “Fourteen years together ended in a single moment. You were always the first to arrive wherever you were needed, and always the last to return from every event. This time was no different - I knew you would be there.
I wasn’t afraid when I saw all the helicopters, because you always came home. But this time, you didn’t. If there is any comfort, it is that you received military recognition - as a soldier who went out to defend those who needed him. You truly deserved it, after countless days and nights as a commander, a member of the emergency response team, and a farmer who always put security first.
This land, this soil, this nation - they occupied your thoughts day and night. Just this morning you were working on establishing two new communities before being called to the scene. That is your legacy: Jewish communities will yet flourish at Horbat Kafrur, Mivtar Shesh, and at the site of the murder.
You were laid to rest beside the holy Rabbi Raziel Shevach, exactly as you would have wanted. He too was like you - only 32 years old.
I hope justice is done and that the despicable terrorists are eliminated. You were the best and funniest father. Thank you for 12 years by my side. I love you more than anything, and I already miss you.
I must keep this short so the many people who came to honor you can return home for Shabbat. You left me with a burden too heavy to bear. But I, Tair Eretz, and Adama Ivriya will find the strength to carry on. You can rest now. Shabbat shalom."