On Monday, 20-year-old IDF soldier Almog Shiloni was on the phone with his girlfriend while waiting for a bus in Tel Aviv. In an instant, Shiloni was attacked by a Palestinian terrorist who proceeded to stab Shiloni repeatedly in the chest and abdomen.
Hamas praised the attack, saying that is was “a swift response” to “resist the occupation.”
Shiloni succumbed to his wounds on Monday night after doctors tried literally everything to save his life. Shiloni’s death marks a turning point in recent wave of violence and terror being perpetrated by Palestinians across Israel.
Shiloni was a graduate of the first Platoon Commanders’ Course of the Nahal Haredi battalion of the IDF. A religious soldier, Shiloni made history with his induction to the Israeli Air Force’s first ever combat unit made up of religious soldiers.
I was witness to Shiloni’s swearing in ceremony to the IDF. In July 2014, Shiloni stood alongside my nephew as well as others and swore to defend the people and state of Israel. Little did I know at the time, while filming the ceremony, that such a happy occasion would mark a moment of tragedy.
In this personal video, you can clearly see how excited Shiloni is to take his oath on the Jewish Bible and receive his weapon as an official soldier. With the words of the Hatikvah signaling the close of the ceremony, today we must remember that “Od lo avdah tickvateinu,” our hope is not yet lost.