Command Sergeant Major Uri Moyal, 51, is the career soldier who was killed Thursday in the attack at the Beit Kama Junction Aroma cafe. He succumbed to his wounds hours after being hailed as a hero for shooting the terrorist who had arrived at the place and stabbed him and others.
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He left behind a wife and three children, one of whom lives in the US. Moyal was supposed to be discharged from career service at the end of the year. He served as a work manager in the Technology and Maintenance Department at the Nachal Brigade.
"It doesn't surprise me that he managed to get up and neutralize the terrorist, he was a strong man, a real man in every sense of the word," says Moyal's friend Oren Zohar. "I've known him since the time I was a private in the Nachal Brigade, more than 20 years ago. He was a bright-faced man, always smiling, a very very good man. Always willing to help, especially since we were in the reconnaissance unit, he would help us and loved to help regardless, always asking about our well-being.
"He didn't complain, a very dear, very very dear man," he says and adds, "The family is now in great pain, it's not for nothing that he neutralized the terrorist, it didn't surprise me, the way I saw the video, I immediately identified him, he no longer had a chance, it's hard, I knew him for over two decades, I would hitchhike with him to the base, a good-hearted man, a human being above all. This is a very difficult tragedy."
Benny Biton, the mayor of Dimona – the city where he lived – eulogized Moyal with the following post: "Dimona bows its head. Command Sergeant Major Uri Moyal was murdered by a villain. Uri was born and raised in Yeruham and moved to live in Dimona. He served as in the Nahal Brigade and dozens if not hundreds of soldiers were under his tutelage, and he was a support and help to them.
Three people were injured Thursday afternoon in a stabbing attack in northern Israel, including MOyal, who later died at the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.
Video: Footage of the attack
Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba. Two others were injured lightly.
The attacker was identified as 22-year-old Fadi Abu Latif, an Israeli citizen residing in Rahat who is originally from the Gaza Strip. Having grown up in Gaza, Abu Latif has lived in Israel since 2019. His mother is from Rahat, while his father is from the strip. Currently, they both reside in Gaza.
Abi Latif had arrived at the scene on a scooter. Security forces said they were scanning the area for other potential attackers or those who aided Abu Latif.
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