Jonathan Deutsch, a resident of Beit She'an, was laid to rest today (Monday) after being murdered in an attack in the Jordan Valley. His fiancée, Emunah, eulogized him: "You managed to safely go through rotations on the northern border and one in Rafah. All this time I was just waiting for updates from you that everything was okay. And just a few days ago when you were released, we finally started to breathe easy."
She continued: "We talked about how we were spared from a terrible situation– but right here, on the drive to my home, on a route we've taken so many times, these terrorists came and took you from us. All that comes to my mind is - why? Why, God? Why did you take him from me?"
When 23-year-old Deutsch recently completed his military service in Gaza, his family felt relief. He was supposed to marry Emunah and was on his way to a job interview as a youth counselor when he was murdered in an attack near Mehola Junction in the Jordan Valley.
Jonathan was a fighter in the elite Maglan unit and was in Nahal Oz on October 7th. He then fought in Gaza and after serving in Rafah, he was discharged. His father, Uri, said in an interview on Kan Reshet Bet: "He was a people person and full of joy, he loved the country and the people in an extraordinary way."
"We heard there was an attack in the Mehola area, we called and he didn't answer," his father recounted. "I drove there and asked people there to tell me if it was him or not. Slowly I realized it was him. They asked me what his name was, and what the car was, and then I saw them stepping back. I approached them and said 'Please tell me' and they kept stepping back. When the policewomen told me the situation wasn't good, I understood. I went home and started informing everyone."
* Kann News contributed to this account.