St.-Sgt. Matan Gadri

June 8, 2003 - St.-Sgt. Matan Gadri, 21, of Moshav Moledet was killed in Hebron while pursuing two Palestinian gunmen who earlier had wounded a Border Policeman on guard at the Tomb of the Patriarchs.

Two terrorists arrived at around 1 P.M. at the entrance for Muslim worshippers at the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, pushing a cart with Kalashnikov rifles hidden in it, and started firing at a group of Border Policemen, wounding one of them. The IDF imposed a closure on the area and while troops were searching for the men, the gunmen hiding on the roof fired at them and critically wounded one of the soldiers, from the Nahal reconnaissance unit, who later died of his wounds. The two terrorists were killed.

Matan Gadri grew up on Moledet, a collective moshav, the second in a family of three. Tomer Ron, a close friend and classmate, also from Nahal reconnaissance was killed in Hebron three months ago. Matan enlisted in the Nahal reconnaissance company in November 2000. Tomer Ron started off in a pilots course but soon left and joined Matan's unit. "Since they served in the same unit, they were always together," Moskowitz says. "They both had their own friends in the army because they started at different times, but they shared the pride of serving in that unit." "Matan, who continued to serve after Tomer was killed, never spoke about the dangers in the army," says Maor, their friend.

Haim Chelouche, the moshav secretary and neighbor of the Gadri family, said, "When people talk about the salt of the earth, they are referring to these kids. It's perfectly clear from Matan's story. He went to Hebron three months after Tomer was killed there, his best friend. And he still charged at the head of the force." Chelouche described how Matan would help him with the cattle, riding a horse as though he was born on it. "Matan loved nature and lived it," he said. Matan also participated in riding competitions.

Relatives described him as having a special sense of humor, who was everybody's friend. He was to have completed his army service in November.

St.-Sgt. Matan Gadri was buried in Moshav Moledet. He is survived by his parents, Ilan and Rina, his sister Dafna, 24, and brother Amnon, 16.