More than 1,000 people came to pay their respects at the funeral of Staff Sgt. Almog Shiloni at the Mount Herzl military cemetery on Tuesday. Shiloni, 20, was stabbed repeatedly by terrorist Nur a-Din Hashiyeh at Tel Aviv's Haganah train station on Monday, and died of his wounds later that day. "I know you would want me to say that everything is all right, and that you are guarding us from above," said Shiloni's twin brother Sahar at the funeral. "When I got to the hospital, I told Dad, 'He'll pull out of this.' I knew and I felt that he would be strong, but no. "Just help us from above. I had one heart, and now I only have half a broken heart." Shiloni's father, Yosef Chai, also eulogized his son. "Our dear son, what a perfect gift we were given," he said. "You are a priceless treasure. "You were 20 years old this month. We got to see you grow. You had a smile that won over everyone's hearts. Before the army, you spent time helping the elderly. You knew exactly where you were going." He went on to describe Shiloni's military service as a squad commander at the Nevatim airforce base. "You were a courageous and moral fighter, a commander with an infinite heart," he said. "You would ask to bring lone soldiers to our house for Shabbat. You respected everyone. Where did you learn all of this from, my child- "You were supposed to marry your girlfriend Noy. It was all organized, but our Merciful Father in the heavens decided he wanted the purest souls by his side." Rabbi Eliyahu Elharar, the municipal rabbi of Modiin, Shiloni's hometown, also spoke at the funeral. "You father said you are a strong boy. You could have survived the attack, but it seems the heavens needed you more," the rabbi said. At the family home before the funeral, Shiloni's mother, Michal, said, "It is difficult to speak about Almog in the past tense. He was a righteous child who helped everybody. "On the day of the incident, I was watching the news. I became worried and tried calling [him], but there was no answer. An hour later, they came to my house to tell me he was injured. "I can't understand how my strong Almog didn't survive, how they managed to kill him. He had so many plans: to marry his girlfriend, to continue to give. "We must be strong. The nation of Israel must stay strong now." Meanwhile, also on Tuesday, the terrorist who killed Shiloni was released from hospital, where he was being treated for light wounds, and taken to Shin Bet investigators. The Israel Police Special Patrol Unit located Shiloni hiding in a nearby building shortly after Monday's attack. He was questioned and admitted to the crime before being taken to Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv for treatment. While he was in hospital, a discussion was held on the extension of his arrest. A police representative said he is suspected of several crimes, including manslaughter, membership in an outlawed organization, belonging to a terrorist organization, entering Israel illegally and carrying a knife. The representative asked that his arrest be extended by two weeks. Though Hashiyeh was barred from meeting with a lawyer for the time being, his defense attorney, Michal Orkaby, asked that his arrest be extended by only 24 hours. Judge Yaron Gat accepted her request, although his decision stated that there was reasonable suspicion that Hashiyeh did carry out the crimes for which he was charged.
Credit: Reuters
"Anyone who really knew you could only be proud of you. I, as your twin brother, your other half, am the most proud.