Tur-Paz Marks 19 Years Since Reservist Ehud Efrati’s Death

Moshe Tur-Paz said he attended a memorial gathering for reservist Ehud Efrati on Friday, October 30, at the military cemetery in Zikhron Yaakov. The gathering marked 19 years since Efrati fell in battle in southern Gaza. Tur-Paz’s account described relatives and friends coming together to remember him. In his statement, Tur-Paz remembered Efrati as a family man, farmer and member of the Paratroopers reconnaissance unit. He described him carrying a Negev machine gun at the front of his team. Reflecting on the commemoration after the election, Tur-Paz wrote: “I did not need Ehud Efrati’s memorial to restore perspective after the election.” The Defense Ministry’s Yizkor record says Efrati was born in Zikhron Yaakov on February 3, 1973, to Nira and Avishai. He enlisted in August 1991, initially serving in Shayetet 13 before transferring to the Paratroopers reconnaissance unit after a health condition prevented him from diving. After his regular service, he studied agriculture at the Hebrew University’s Rehovot faculty, specialized in plant protection and worked as an agronomist on the family farm. Efrati was called to reserve duty in Gaza in October 2007. He died on October 29 that year, aged 34, and was buried in the military section of Zikhron Yaakov’s cemetery. He left his wife, Miri, two sons and a daughter.