Ofer Kanerik

Mar 12, 2002 - Ofer Kanerik, 44, of Moshav Betzet was one of six Israelis killed when two terrorists opened fire from an ambush on Israeli vehicles traveling between Shlomi and Kibbutz Metzuba near the northern border with Lebanon.

The two gunmen, dressed in IDF uniforms and armed with Kalashnikov and M-16 rifles and grenades, hid in undergrowth at the side of the road and opened fire on vehicles heading toward Kibbutz Metzuba around 12.30 P.M. Israeli forces killed the two gunmen and carried out wide-scale searches for additional terrorists. Six Israelis were killed and 7 wounded in the attack. Ofer Kanerik was on his way to the field, to guard his sheep when he was killed by gunfire.

Ofer's family was among the founders of Moshav Betzet, and he had lived there since childhood. He was a farmer and a shepherd, and had banana plantation. He died just three days before his son's bar mitzvah.

Ofer Kanerik was buried in Moshav Betzet. He is survived by his younger brother, Udi, his wife, Alice, his daughter Maayan (15), and his two sons Roi (13), and Daniel (9).