A spring was inaugurated this week in Beit El in memory of two former commanders of the Binyamin Brigade, Col. Sharon Asman and Col. Yonatan, or Yoni, Steinberg. Both later went on to command the Nahal Brigade, and both died at age 42.
Asman, who had led Binyamin and then Nahal, died in 2021 during an IDF fitness training exercise. He had held several significant command positions in the army and was widely regarded as an admired commander. Steinberg also commanded Binyamin and later Nahal. On the morning of October 7, he left home to join his soldiers and was killed in a clash with militants near Kerem Shalom. He was among the most senior officers killed in the fighting that day.
Asman’s mother, Inna Asman, said the ceremony was moving and that “the fate of Sharon and Yoni was tied together at so many points.” She added, “Even today, years later, it is still incomprehensible. The longing does not pass, it only deepens the pain.” Yoni Steinberg’s father, Dani Steinberg, said his son had a deep bond with Beit El and the Binyamin region, calling command of the Binyamin Brigade “the realization of a dream.”
At the ceremony, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana said the two men were “two of the most authentic sons of this land” who carried heavy responsibility for the security of Binyamin residents and Israel. Retired Maj. Gen. Noam Tibon, a former Nahal Brigade commander, said he saw exceptional leadership potential in both early on and noted that on October 7 Steinberg did exactly what an authentic commander should do, leaving no time for orders before going to fight and save lives. The head of the Beit El local council said the new memorial spring is a place of life, memory, and continuity, dedicated to two heroes of Israel.
