Efrat Ettinger (R) delivers a eulogy for her father, Rabbi Ahiad Ettinger, in the West Bank settlement of Eli, March 18th, 2019. (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
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Hundreds of mourners came to the funeral of Rabbi Ahiad Ettinger in the settlement of Eli on Monday, as his family and friends tearfully eulogized and praised him for his life’s work and for having attacked the terrorist who took killed IDF soldier Gal Kaidan and the rabbi himself.
Ettinger, the father of 12, was killed in Sunday’s terror attack as he stopped to shoot at the terrorist as he was carrying out his attack, who returned fire and mortally wounded the rabbi.
Speaking at the funeral, Education Minister Naftali Bennett vowed to “cut off the evil” of terrorism and said that the State of Israel needed to take action in order “to win” the battle against its enemies.
“The evil that cuts off the best people must itself be cut off,” said Bennett in front of Ettinger’s family.
“On your grave, I say that the blood of Jews will not be the cheapest thing in the Middle East. We will cut off terror only when we free ourselves from our legal and mental bonds which prevent us from winning,” continued the minister.
Bennett described the rabbi as “a hero in life and hero in death,” and praised both his work in establishing a yeshiva in south Tel Aviv and his heroism in stopping his vehicle to attack the terrorist who was perpetrating a terror attack at that very moment.
“When the murderer stood not far from where we are now Rabbi Ahiad could have done the easiest thing and ignore the attack, say it’s not my problem, but he fired at the murderer and paid for it with his life,” said Bennett.
Efrat, the daughter of Ettinger, struggled to speak through her tears as she eulogized her father.
“How is that you who brought so much life to the world are no longer here to live with us,” she cried.
“This cursed terrorist thought he was stopping life but he does not know how much life you left here, how much power you gave to us which will raise us together with the Jewish people.”
His daughter talked of how dedicated the rabbi had been to his yeshiva and to its surrounding run-down neighborhoods in south Tel Aviv.
“My father, you are a hero, a true hero. Until death you were there for everyone, you were strong in mind and body, and you used this for everyone.”
A recording of two of Ettinger’s young children speaking about their father after his death was played at the funeral as well.
“Daddy, you were a hero. You shot the terrorist and you saved many people, you were a wonderful father, we really miss you,” said Hadas, his seven year old daughter.
“You very much loved helping people,” said his young son Ahiya.
Rabbi Avraham Shiller, the municipal chief rabbi of Eli, described Ettinger as “a hero in the fight against Ishmael,” and said that everyone would learn from his example.
“You are a hero in the might of Torah and your work to establish a yeshiva and disseminate Torah. You are a hero of the Jewish people because of your help for Jews in south Tel Aviv to strengthen them,” said Shiller.
“We will not fall, we will not bow down, we will not be broken,” he continued. “God has restored His divine presence to Zion and nothing will stop it. We will continue to flourish in all parts and corners of the Land of Israel, our hold land which God sent us to build and to blossom will be strengthened. I say to the Ishmaelites, we never took control of Land of Israel from you.
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