Hundreds gathered at the military cemetery in Ashkelon on Sunday to attend the funeral of Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman, 23, who was murdered on Friday in a shooting attack at Yehuda Junction near Hebron. His family, girlfriend and friends bid him farewell in tears, delivering heartbreaking eulogies in memory of the young soldier.
Roytman served as a squad commander in the Ari Battalion (775) of the Home Front Command's Search and Rescue Brigade. He was killed alongside Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem, 20, from Hod Hasharon, during an exchange of fire with terrorists.
One of the most poignant eulogies was delivered by Ron's girlfriend, Ella, who described how a friendship forged during military training gradually blossomed into a love story.
"Love of my life, it seems impossible to try to sum you up in a few pages, to sum us up," she began. "Ron'chuk, one day with you feels like years of adventure, so how the hell do you sum yourself up like this?"
Ella described Ron as witty, funny and full of life, a young man who naturally drew people to him.
"He had a funny, sarcastic sense of humor that I loved. He was theatrical and witty. I became addicted to him. He was always the center of attention, but not in an annoying way, just because he was happy. He would sing at the top of his lungs."
She recalled how their relationship gradually deepened until Ron found the courage to make the first move.
"Ron and I became a duo. My eyes would search for him. At the end of training, Ron worked up the courage to tell me how he felt. We both knew there was something there," she said.
Ella admitted that she initially struggled to imagine a romantic relationship with her best friend, but Ron was determined to give their love a chance. He asked her to talk again, and eventually the two became a couple.
"We were a duo, pure love. He went from being my best friend to the best partner I could have asked for," she said, recalling the small gestures that defined their relationship, including the bouquets he brought her at every opportunity.
She concluded by addressing Ron directly: "You are my anchor. It was so important to you that I was happy. How do I wake up without you?"
Ron's brother, David, also struggled to find words to describe the loss. The two had shared nearly every aspect of their lives, from rooms and clothes to the smallest moments of everyday life.
"My brother, my best friend. I remember we once sat down and thought about what would happen if one of us fell in battle, what we would want people to say about us. You didn't like talking about it; that possibility wasn't even in your mind," he said.
"You are my little brother, but you were like a twin. We would blow up at each other, fight and get angry, but we had each other's backs. We covered for each other and looked after each other, watched shows together. We completed each other."
Concluding his eulogy, David addressed his brother directly.
"You are my world, my other half who was taken from me. You are the strongest and wisest flame I have ever seen. Keep shining for us from above; we will take care of everything else."
Ron's sister, Yona, remembered a brother she could always count on, someone who would answer any request from a family member at any hour. That made the final unanswered call all the more painful.
"I waited on the line, and my ears waited for you to answer me. You are an exemplary brother, excelling at everything you touched. This time, I am disappointed in you. You could have tried harder and come home. I love you, my little brother," she said.
Ron's father, Alexander, recited Kaddish for his son before bidding him farewell in Russian.
"I love you so much, my little son. I love you so much, I love you so much," he said.
His mother, Marina, also asked to deliver part of her eulogy in her native Russian. Before beginning, she addressed those gathered at the funeral.
"First of all, thank you all for coming. I will say a few words in Russian. I apologize to anyone who doesn't understand, but this is how my heart speaks."
Roytman and Svilem were killed Friday morning when two Palestinian terrorists from Hebron arrived by car at Yehuda Junction on Route 35 and opened fire on IDF troops operating in the area. An exchange of fire between the terrorists and the soldiers lasted more than 20 minutes. Additional forces summoned to the scene maneuvered around the terrorists and killed them.