IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-General Gabi Ashkenazi on Yom Kippur night davened with the widow and children of IDF Colonel Dror Weinberg HY”D, who was murdered in a shootout with terrorists on Tzir Mispalalim (Worshipers’ Path) in Chevron. They davened in a Rishon L’Tzion shul. The parents of the fallen soldier, Uri and Batsheva invited the military commander, who responded.

He declined a seat of honor, preferring to sit with his son at Mr. Uri Weinberg’s son, Arutz-7 Hebrew news reported. The commander’s daughter sat in the woman’s section aside Mrs. Weinberg.

The commander was given the honor of opening the oron kodesh for Aveinu Malkeinu, and mispalalim pointed out to reporters it was nice to see the commander is capable of davening without exhibiting a strange feeling, as has been seen in the past. Actually, Ashkenazi is known to visit a shul near his home from time-to-time.

On Friday evening, November 15, 2002, Colonel Weinberg HY”D and 11 others, including soldiers and members of the Chevron area first-response team, fell in a shootout against terrorists. They were ambushed in a well planned and executed terror attack.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)