World stunned by Israel's farewell to lone soldiers killed in Gaza

The war in Gaza is naturally being covered in the U.S. But this past week, with two soldiers who grew up in the U.S. -- Staff Sgt. Nissim Sean Carmeli and Sgt. Max Steinberg -- killed in battle, the coverage has taken on a different light: excited, focused on the lone soldiers.

The Los Angeles Times, for example, on Wednesday published a long piece about Steinberg's funeral. "Israelis turn out en masse for funeral of soldier from Los Angeles," the headline announced.

Batsheva Sobelman, the Times' Israel correspondent, said: "Like other Jewish young adults choosing to immigrate without their parents and volunteer for military service, Steinberg was considered a 'lone soldier,' a category recognizing his special circumstances and offering some extra support from the system."

"The large crowd -- nearly all strangers -- answered calls of social media and conscience and attended the rites at the military cemetery on Jerusalem's Mount Herzl," Sobelman wrote. Yuval Shimon, who attended the funeral, was quoted as saying that while he did not know Steinberg personally, "he fought for us and died for us. It is a great honor for me to be here at his funeral."

Time Magazine devoted an entire article to the subject, titled "The Immigrant Soldiers Dying for Israel in Gaza." Time discussed Steinberg's story in detail and also profiled other lone soldiers currently serving in the IDF, Mike Meyerheim from New Jersey and Josh Grant of Birmingham, England.

"That desire to do something meaningful, it seems, is part of what motivates thousands of young Jewish people to come to Israel every year and volunteer for the army," Time wrote.

For the Daily Beast website, the American angle of the lone soldier phenomenon was the focus. "1,000 Americans Are Serving in the Israeli Army and They Aren't Alone," the headline read.

The Beast reported on both Steinberg and Carmeli, noting that they were by no means alone in Israel.

"Today, the Jewish state has one of the largest number of Americans serving in its military, with roughly 1,000 Americans who did not grow up there serving," the site reported.

Even the British media, which is often critical of Israel, was touched by the story of the lone soldiers. The Daily Mail newspaper ran a piece on Steinberg's funeral, quoting the soldier's last words to his father before he was killed in the Gaza fighting: "Tell my mom I love her."

Meanwhile, visitors are flocking to the Crown Plaza Hotel in Jerusalem, where the Steinberg family is mourning Max. Some of the people who have come to console the family include Miriam Peretz, the mother of two fallen soldiers, Lt. Uriel Peretz and 1st Sgt. Eliraz Peretz.

"We will never forget Max, because he gave his life for this country," Peretz told the family, who thanked her warmly.

Stuart Steinberg, Max's father, said, "I'm amazed by how we've been embraced here in Israel. It's heartwarming."

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