Alexander Kostyuk

Apr 24, 2003 - Alexander Kostyuk, a 23-year-old security guard from Bat Yam, was killed in a suicide bombing outside the train station in Kfar Sava.

At around 7:20 A.M., a terrorist wearing an explosives belt under his leather jacket approached the new train station in Kfar Sava. Alexander Kostyuk, one of the security guards, was suspicious of his wearing a coat on such a warm day, and asked to see his ID card. The terrorist detonated the bomb, killing Alexander and wounding 13 others, including another security guard. "There is no doubt that the guard at the entrance prevented a much bigger disaster with a lot more injuries and a lot more damage," said police commissioner Shlomo Aharonishky.

Alexander Kostyuk immigrated to Israel from the Ukraine in 1997 by himself in order to serve in the IDF. He wanted only combat duty, and served in the Border Guard, mainly in Hebron and Bethlehem. His parents, Pavel and Tatiana, followed him to Israel a year later, together with his younger brother Sergei.

After completing his army service, Alexander took the job as a security guard for Israel Railways. His father said, "He saw everything during his army service and wasn't afraid to guard the train passengers. He didn't expect to be killed after the army, but he knew his job was to prevent terror attacks, and that is what he did." His army friend Andrei Zaslavsky said, "Alexander was a very brave guy. I don't know others who could have done what he did. It's like him to do something like that."

Although his parents originally wanted to bury him in his home city of Odessa, Alexander Kostyuk was buried in a civil ceremony in Israel, in the Yarkon cemetery. His mother said, "My son wanted to be here, and died defending people in Israel, so I want him to be buried here." Israel Police sent a delegation of 10 uniformed officers to the ceremony, and his coffin was borne by an honor guard of Israel Railways security personnel.

Alexander is survived by his parents, Pavel and Tatiana, and his brother Sergei, 14.