Mother of fallen soldier says she is pregnant at his burial

In an emotional eulogy on Sunday at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, Einav, the mother of Sgt. First Class Nove Havshush, revealed that she is pregnant after the death of her only son, who was killed in Lebanon. She said, “Inside the great darkness that fell on our lives, I am carrying new life within me. When my beloved child, my only son, was taken from me, there is a heartbeat in me that forces me to get up in the morning and keep living.”

The 46-year-old bereaved mother said the pregnancy is not easy and that her heart is shattered, but she promised to protect it. “Maybe this is the small gift you left me. Before I say goodbye to you, I want to thank you for the privilege of being your mother. You will be my son forever. For this boy I prayed, and for this boy I will continue to pray all the days of my life,” she said.

Havshush’s father, Chaim Havshush, described the last message he received from his son shortly before the tragedy. In it, the son asked him not to tell his mother about a possible release so she would not be disappointed. In his eulogy, the father said his son had “risen in a storm to heaven together with the tank crew of the 52nd Battalion commander.”

He added that he tried calling his son several times and got no answer, but the WhatsApp status remained the same: “Do not cry that it is over, smile that it happened.” He said he felt as if he had lost his compass, and concluded, “I do not really know how to go on without your smile. Thank you for the privilege of being your father.”