Father Mourns Fallen IDF Officer Tamir Vaknin at Military Funeral in Eilat

Shimon Vaknin, father of Lieutenant Colonel Tamir Vaknin who was killed yesterday in southern Lebanon, delivered a heartfelt eulogy at his son's military funeral held at the Eilat military cemetery. Shimon expressed deep sorrow and shared personal memories, saying, "Everyone loved you. You were a people's person. Even in the platoon, they said you connected so well with the younger soldiers that they couldn’t tell if you were a veteran or a newcomer." He recalled a conversation where he advised his son to "not be first but last," to which Tamir laughed and replied, "It doesn’t work that way." Shimon also revealed that Tamir had not told him when he entered Lebanon, not wanting to worry him. When Tamir did not answer his phone, Shimon felt a bad premonition and said, "I cried in the car out of longing. How am I supposed to bury my son instead of escorting him to his wedding?"