Sgt. Tali Ben-Armon

Oct 4, 2001 - Sgt. Tali Ben-Armon, 19, an off-duty woman soldier from Pardesia, was killed when a Palestinian terrorist, dressed as an Israeli paratrooper, opened fire on Israeli civilians waiting at the central bus station in Afula.

The terrorist, dressed in IDF military fatigues, opened fire at a crowded bus terminal in Afula at 2:00 P.M., killing three Israelis and wounding 13 others. He entered shops with an M-16 rifle and sprayed them with long bursts of automatic gunfire.

Tali was born in Netanya and attended school in Kibbutz Maaborot, majoring in art. She was a gifted artist, and last March she had won prizes for her drawings. Tali had almost completed her compulsory army service, and would have celebrated her 20th birthday at the end of October. Her commanding officers had suggested that she continue in the army, training new recruits.

Earlier on the day of the attack, Tali's mother Shoshi had phoned relatives in Alei Sinai to console them for the loss of their daughter, Liron Harpaz, in a terrorist attack two days earlier. "I didn't imagine that only hours later the terror would hit us as well," said her mother.

Sergeant Tali Ben-Armon was laid to rest in Pardesia. She is survived by her parents, two brothers - Danny (17) and Gil (11) and a sister Neta (14).