Torah Scroll Dedicated in Samaria to Fallen Officer Eitan Ben Yitzhak

A Torah scroll was dedicated in the new Israeli settlement of Rechavam in Samaria, in memory of Lieutenant Eitan Ben Yitzhak, a fallen soldier from the Egoz unit and an officer cadet who was killed in battle in Rafah. The ceremony was attended by Yossi Dagan, Head of the Samaria Regional Council, Yael and Palmach Ze'evi, the son and daughter-in-law of the late Minister Rehavam Ze'evi, Eitan's parents Nachshon and Michal Ben Yitzhak, Eitan's widow Atara's family, Eitan's friends from the Egoz unit, rabbis, and residents of Rechavam.

Yael and Palmach Ze'evi initially intended to donate the Torah scroll to Michal and Nachshon Ben Yitzhak for the sake of their son Eitan's soul, who lived in the settlement of Har Bracha and fell during the "Swords of Iron" war. A joint decision was then made to place the scroll in the young settlement of Rechavam, established this year and named after Yael's father, Minister Rehavam Ze'evi, who was assassinated in Jerusalem. The settlement is located on the Trans-Samaria Highway, north of the settlement of Migdalim, and extends the settlement continuum between Samaria and the Jordan Valley.

During the ceremony, Eitan's mother, Michal Ben Yitzhak, spoke on behalf of the family, stating, "This morning we woke up and chose to dress nicely. We left the memorial shirts we made in his memory in the closet, put on holiday clothes, and chose life again. The verse 'Shake yourself from the dust, arise, put on your garments of splendor, my people' takes on powerful meaning today. The houses being built here in Rechavam and in 'Chavat Eitan' are the garments of splendor of the land."

Yael Ze'evi shared that the Torah scroll was written over years for her son's success upon his enlistment. She had asked the scribe not to finish it until her son completed his military service and returned safely. After the scroll was completed, she sought a permanent home for it. The connection with Eitan's family and Yossi Dagan led to the scroll being placed in Rechavam, named after Minister Rehavam Ze'evi. Yael Ze'evi stated, "To conquer this land, one must hold the Torah in one hand and a sword in the other. And I think everyone here holds a sword in one hand and the Torah in the other and acts accordingly. I think Eitan showed this with all his might. He was an angel in human form. Blessed are you. He went with this book, he studied it, he memorized every word daily."

Yossi Dagan, Head of the Samaria Regional Council, expressed his gratitude to Yael and Palmach Ze'evi for the donation and the double honor, recognizing both Eitan Ben Yitzhak and Rehavam Ze'evi as heroes of Israel. He announced plans to inaugurate a synagogue in Rechavam in the coming months, which will serve as a center for Torah study and the continued building of the settlement, honoring the legacy of both heroes.