It happened almost four months ago.

I found myself standing at the second funeral of Captain Daniel Peretz, may his memory be a blessing, a young South African-Israeli tank commander who fell while fighting Hamas terrorists and defending Kibbutz Nahal Oz. By now, many people already know Daniel’s story.

Two days earlier, his body had been returned from Gaza, after more than two years in Hamas captivity. This funeral followed the first one held a year earlier, after Daniel’s bloodied uniform was found in a tunnel, allowing the military rabbinate to declare his death according to Jewish law. I was at both funerals.

This time, like the first funeral, thousands came to Mount Herzl to pay their respects: family, friends, soldiers, youth movement members, and strangers. I stood among soldiers from Brigade 7, Daniel’s comrades, many of them fresh out of Gaza after nearly two years of fighting. Nearby were senior commanders, the former chief of staff, and the president of Israel. At the first funeral, this section of the cemetery was almost empty. Now, sadly, it was full.

And then something unexpected happened.

Matan Angrest, Daniel’s tank driver, the soldier Daniel had commanded, walked into the funeral. He had been released alive from Hamas captivity just two days earlier, after 738 days.

For a moment, everything........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)