Lt.(res.) David Damelin

Mar 3, 2002 - Lt.(res.) David Damelin, 29, of Kibbutz Metzar was one of 10 soldiers and civilians killed when terrorists opened fire at an IDF roadblock north of Ofra in Samaria.

Shortly after 6:30 on Sunday morning, a Palestinian sniper opened fired at an army roadblock 1.5 kilometers north of Ofra on the Ramallah-Nablus road from his carbine, killing 10 soldiers and civilians and wounding four, before escaping unharmed. With his first shots, the gunman killed the three soldiers deployed behind concrete blocks surrounding the roadblock. Soldiers sleeping in the adjacent building were alerted by the gunfire and raced out to the roadblock, only to be shot dead. Also killed were civilians and soldiers who arrived by car at the roadblock.

Platoon commander Lieutenant David Damelin heard the shooting and left the barracks. He went around the building to the north of the checkpoint and was shot dead.

David grew up in Tel Aviv and joined the army after graduating from Thelma Yelin high school. David was a gifted musician who played the French horn. He had been invited to audition for the army band but instead chose to join the Engineering Corps. Damelin complete the combat engineers' NCO course and was the outstanding graduate of his officers' course.

His brother Eran described the relationship between the two as particularly close. "More than brothers, we were good friends. When our parents divorced, we moved in together in a flat in Tel Aviv. We were drafted together, served in the army together."

After the army, David went to Tel Aviv University, where he received his BA in psychology and philosophy. He was one of the leaders of the 1998 student struggle to lower tuition fees. After graduating, he began studying for his master's degree in philosophy at Tel Aviv University, and worked as an assistant teacher in the department. He was also an academic consultant at the pre-military training college at Kibbutz Metzar in the Golan Heights.

David's mother, Robin, immigrated to Israel from South Africa in 1967, joining his father, Elliot, who had arrived earlier. She talked of his belief in justice and love of humanity. "He understood the need to contribute to society in order to make the world a better place." A friend related how the training college had managed to get Damelin's reserve duty postponed, but David turned down the offer saying, "What kind of personal example would I be setting, how can I be a teacher in the State of Israel if I don't do reserve duty." David Damelin was buried in the military cemetery at Kiryat Shaul. is survived by his parents, a sister, two brothers and a girlfriend.