Ionas "Yona" Karussis, 26, was the sixth victim of the terror attack in Jaffa on Tuesday.
Ionas's family migrated from Thessaloniki in 1988, after his father, Prof. Dimitrios Karussis, began working at the Neurology Department at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, specializing in stem cell treatment. His mother, Ourania, worked as a pediatrician in Meveseret Zion.
Ionas held Greek and Israeli citizenship and spoke both languages fluently. He spent his entire education in the Israeli system and served in the army.
Ionas was studying architecture in Tel Aviv, and one of his friends told Israeli media that he was likely attempting to photograph the light rail as part of a school project.
One of his friends told The Jerusalem Post, "Yona had a heart of gold. When I joined middle school, feeling like the new kid, Yona was one of the few who welcomed me with open arms, standing up for me, we quickly became friends. From that point on, we shared countless moments—whether it was shooting hoops in the neighborhood or catching up over a drink at the local pub. Yona's kindness was effortless; he had a gentle soul that radiated warmth. He always knew how to lift you up, celebrating your achievements as if they were his own, and making you feel like you truly mattered."
Another said, "He was just a lovely man, really good, innocent, and kind."
Why Israel?
Speaking to Greek media, his father Dimitrios explained why he moved to and stayed in Israel, despite not being Jewish.
"What motivated me to come to this country is the scientific research, which is so developed here."
He continued, "The influence of the Greek Spirit is evident in the people of Israel, even in their culture and religion."
"We as a people also took the element that perhaps we always lacked (despite the philosophy and sciences or the arts that we taught to the whole world): the element of faith beyond reason. The people here are - temperamentally - similar to us in Greece, and they love our country, culture, and music unimaginably. So they embraced us with love and accepted us as true friends."
"I want to say that it is madness that both of them, one [group] with the Koran and all [of them] with the Old Testament, are constantly looking to kill each other. This will never stop. This madness also kills innocent people, people in the prime of their life, the best people."
The Greek Foreign Ministry expressed deep sorrow over the death of Ionas and condemned the attack unequivocally in a statement on Wednesday.