Holocaust survivor Moshe Etzion, who lost his son Zevik in the last hours of Operation Protective Edge in 2014, ended his life on Sunday morning over his son's grave.
Etzion, 88, left his house Sunday morning on Zevik’s yahrzeit and was gone for many hours, said residents of Kibbutz Nirim, where he lived. When his family became worried, a search began, and his body was found over Zevik’s grave in Nirim’s cemetery.
"Moshe stood bravely in the face of his loss and his life as a Holocaust survivor," said his friends at Nirim. "Since Zevik's passing, Moshe has been focused on trying endlessly to be worthy of Zevik's legacy, which he spoke of in dozens of places and events."
They added that Moshe always had his head raised high and gave his friends hope that anything is possible.
Last year, Moshe's family published a book telling his story from his childhood in Krakow to his journey to Israel through Tehran and his settling in Nirim. The book was titled “Always on the Journey.”
"Today the journey ended," said the people of Nirim.
"My father was an optimistic man who loved life, and his smile never left his face," Moshe's daughter, Smadar, told Walla. He loved Israel and his kibbutz very much. He did everything with love."
She also talked about how Moshe used to drive Palestinian children from checkpoints to Israeli hospitals.
"He talked about not wanting to be a burden to his family," Smadar told N12. "He was already getting weak and wanted to die with dignity."
She added that it did not surprise her where Moshe chose to end his life. "He loved Zevik very much. After Zevik was killed, he asked for his personal gun as a memento, and he did it with that same gun."
Zevik Etzion was the military security coordinator in Nirim and was killed by a mortar explosion only a few hours before the Protective Edge ceasefire. He left behind a wife, five children, his parents and his sister. The funeral will take place at 18:30 on Monday in Nirim.