Hundreds attend gay IDF soldier’s memorial service
Editor’s note: International News Editor Michael K. Lavers will be on assignment in Israel through Oct. 14. HERZLIYA, Israel — Hundreds of people on Tuesday attended a memorial service for a gay Israel Defense Force major who was killed while fighting Hamas militants in southern Israel on Oct.
7, 2023. Sagi Golan, 30, was at home in the Tel Aviv suburb of Herzliya with his fiancé, Omer Ohana, when the militant group launched its surprise attack against from the Gaza Strip.
Ohana told the Washington Blade during an interview after the memorial service that Golan woke him up at around 6:30 a.m. after rocket sirens began to sound. “We ran to the shelter in our house,” he said. “After that we just opened the news and the headline was ‘Hamas terrorist attack in Israel.'” Ohana said people in the Israeli communities around Gaza were “begging for help.” Golan started to pack his IDF uniforms, and Ohana made him coffee. “10 minutes later we were already at the doorstep kissing goodbye,” Ohana recalled. “That was the last time I saw him.” “I told him not to be a hero,” he said. “He gave me a kiss, he told me we’re getting married in a week, don’t be silly.” Golan deployed to Be’eri, a kibbutz that is near the border between Israel and Gaza.
He sent Ohana a heart emoji message to him via WhatsApp every hour “just to reassure he’s there.” Golan sent his last message to his fiancé and “to anyone” at 12:18 a.m.
