Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: An entire nation stood together and was reminded who we are, why we are here. The entire nation mourns with you • Rachel Frenkel: "We will learn to sing without you. We will always hear your voice inside us."
Nitzi Yaakov, Shlomi Diaz, Lilach Shoval and Israel Hayom Staff
The funeral service for Gil-ad Shaer, Eyal Yifrach and Naftali Frenkel in Modiin
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Photo credit: Ziv Koren | ||||||
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Tens of thousands of Israelis arrived Tuesday at the Modiin cemetery for the funeral of the three Israeli teenagers whose murdered bodies were found on Monday. After roads were closed due to the masses of mourners, Israelis walked for miles to attend the funeral service for Gil-ad Shaer, Eyal Yifrach and Naftali Frenkel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres attended the funeral, among many others from the political arena.
"Iris and Uri, Bat-Galim and Ophir, Rachel and Avi," Netanyahu said, addressing the parents of the murdered teens, "Dear Yifrach family, Shaer family and Frankel family, and the entire nation who mourns with you, led by the president and president-elect here today. Over the last 18 days, the likenesses of Eyal, Gil-ad and Naftali were engraved in our hearts, in the heart of the entire nation.
"Iris and Uri, Bat-Galim and Ophir, Rachel and Avi," Netanyahu said, addressing the parents of the murdered teens, "Dear Yifrach family, Shaer family and Frankel family, and the entire nation who mourns with you, led by the president and president-elect here today. Over the last 18 days, the likenesses of Eyal, Gil-ad and Naftali were engraved in our hearts, in the heart of the entire nation.
"The citizens of Israel learned to recognize their faces, and even if, to our great regret, we did not have the privilege of meeting them -- as we had hoped, as we had wished -- we saw the magic of their smiles, their gentle manner, the joy of their youth," he said.
Netanyahu continued, saying to the families, "We learned a lesson from you that we shall not forget -- a lesson of faith, determination, unity and sensitivity, of Judaism, of humanity. An entire nation stood together and was reminded who we are, why we are here. Your light shone even brighter against the terrible darkness of those who want us dead."
Peres also addressed the mourning families. "We are laying Naftali, Gil-ad and Eyal to a final rest. Three wonderful boys belonging to the Jewish people," Peres said. "For 18 days and nights, I, like you, was consumed with worry. ... I believe the murderers will be caught. ... Israel will take tough steps until terror is uprooted."
Frenkel's mother, Rachel, who became a well-known figure during the ordeal as she sought to draw attention to the teens' plight, said, "Rest in peace my child. We will learn to sing without you. We will always hear your voice inside of us."
Finance Minister Yair Lapid said at the memorial for Shaer, "Today, we are burying a child who could have been any one of ours and therefore he is one of ours -- all of us...If we want to punish our enemies, there is no greater punishment than to have them look at us and see that there is nothing that can come between us."
Shaer's younger sister, Shirel, mourned the tragic loss of her brother. "I don't have a brother anymore," she said.
At the memorial service for Yifrach in Elad, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said, "Eyal, Gil-ad and Naftali were kidnapped and murdered simply because they were Jews. ... We will not rest and we will not be still until we get our hands on the murderers."
