The Long Island family of slain Israeli-US soldier Omer Neutra delivered heartbreaking eulogies at his packed memorial Tuesday — with his parents describing their hope when they thought he was still alive.
“For over a year now, we’ve been breathing life into your being, my beautiful boy, with no physical sign back from you,” said Neutra’s weeping mom Orna — who along with the rest of the world only just learned that her son hadn’t been taken hostage Oct. 7, 2023, and had instead been killed fighting that day.
“My beautiful son, my strong 6-foot-2 big, smiley boy. …I pled for a sign of life. I didn’t get any,” the mother said.
“We envisioned images of our reunion focusing on doing, on our fight for your release and for some clarity in the face of the unknown.
“And now things are clear, but not as we hoped,” the mom told the crowd of about 1,500 people packed the Midway Jewish Center in Syosset to remember Omer, 21, a Plainview resident and Israel Defense Forces tank commander who was confirmed dead Monday after 432 days of hope that he had survived the attack and was still alive as a hostage.
Neutra’s father, Ronen — who helped hold weekly events in Central Park in Manhattan to keep alive hope for their son and the hostages — said, “How do you speak about your son that you’ve been fighting for for 14 months, hoping, praying, he survives the most horrible conditions on Earth, and yet you will get to see him.
“And then one moment, one knock on the door, and it’s all over,” the dad told the mourners — including Rachel Goldberg-Polin, whose son Hersh was also kidnapped and killed by Hamas, also.
“We called on world leaders, country leaders, to save him and to save the others” taken when Palestinian Hamas terrorists launched their massacre on Israel,” the dad said.
“We spoke about Omer. We spoke about him in so many places, and honestly, I’m losing all the words,” he said.
Ronen said he was proud of his son’s decision to defer his acceptance to Binghamton University to join the IDF, as well as his unit’s decision to confront the Hamas terrorists invading Israel.
“On October 7, they were the first responders to rush the border breach, not knowing the magnitude of the events, not knowing what they were about to face,” Ronen said of his son and other Israeli troops.
“We were so focused that we totally ignored other options, that [Omer] might have been killed during his battle, that he rushed with his team to protect the border with their tanks, with their bodies.
“We are told Omer gave brave, mature commands to the other tank that he was commanding and to the Golani troops and split them apart,” the dad said.
“It saved their lives. Omer, you are a hero,” he added.
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Ronen and his wife described their oldest son as a man who balanced being a goofy and fun-loving guy with being a serious leader who was dedicated to whatever team he was on, be it a sports team or the IDF.
Orna said she was thankful for the past 14 months of support people from all over the world have shown her family as they waited in agony for any news about “our beautiful Omer,” whose tank was ambushed and burned by Hamas terrorists.
“I pray that beyond the grief, we will find some comfort in continuing to spread your light,” she said. “We will miss you forever and love you forever.”
Neutra’s younger sibling, Daniel, echoed his parents’ grief as he lamented the fact that he will soon become older than his big brother and have to live a full life without him by his side.
“At least when I have to explain to my children and grandchildren who Omer was, I will have thousands of interviews, articles and documentaries to reference,” Daniel said of the countless stories written about his brother.
Omer’s family called on its supporters to continue their fight to save the remaining hostages who are still trapped in Gaza and also bring back the bodies of others, including their son.
“They did what they could, but they were taken hostage, and now it’s Israel’s turn to show its love and get him and all his team and everybody else back,” Omer’s dad said of the hostages.
After the Oct. 7 attack, the Neutras joined a close network of families advocating for their loved ones’ freedom, and they vowed to continue the fight to help their community.
“Every march, every rally, every trip to Washington or Jerusalem to fight for Omer’s rescue, it’s all too late for him. But it was not in vain,” Daniel said.
“Now everyone knows the Omer’s story, his sacrifice, his endless heart, and now his memory will live forever. … The greatest honor we can give to him is to rescue the people he gave his life to protect, and must continue his life’s work and keep serving life,” he added.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, who ordered flags in the state be flown half-mast for Omer’s memorial, told reporters outside the gathering that she met with the slain New Yorker’s family shortly after the terrorist attack.
“I had a chance to meet his parents — the most incredibly brave individuals I’ve ever met. And their perseverance: traveling the nation, going to our nation’s capital, meeting us in Albany, meeting so many times at rallies and services in New York City, I felt I knew them so closely,” Hochul said.
“So our hearts are collectively ripped apart on this day,” she added, calling on Hamas to free the remaining hostages. “This has been a long, painful nightmare for so many, and it must end now.”
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman also spoke after the memorial, touting the Neutra family’s strength in the face of tragedy.
“They did everything possible just on the belief and hope that he might be alive, and they are just an amazing family,” he said. “They have tremendous dignity, strength and courage.”
