This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/22/world/middleeast/2-americans-among-israeli-soldiers-killed-in-gaza.html
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| 2 Americans Among Israeli Soldiers Killed in Gaza | 2 Americans Among Israeli Soldiers Killed in Gaza |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| AUSTIN, Tex. — Two Americans, one from Texas and the other from Southern California, were among Israeli soldiers killed on Sunday during fighting in the Gaza Strip. | |
| Officials from the Israel Defense Forces and the State Department confirmed late Sunday that Max Steinberg, 24, who was from the San Fernando Valley in Southern California, and Nissim Sean Carmeli, 21, of South Padre Island, Tex., were among the 13 Israeli soldiers and at least 60 Palestinians who were killed during the first major ground battle in two weeks of fighting between Israel and Hamas. | Officials from the Israel Defense Forces and the State Department confirmed late Sunday that Max Steinberg, 24, who was from the San Fernando Valley in Southern California, and Nissim Sean Carmeli, 21, of South Padre Island, Tex., were among the 13 Israeli soldiers and at least 60 Palestinians who were killed during the first major ground battle in two weeks of fighting between Israel and Hamas. |
| The two soldiers were among about 1,100 Americans who did not grow up in Israel but who are serving in that country’s army, Israeli officials said. | The two soldiers were among about 1,100 Americans who did not grow up in Israel but who are serving in that country’s army, Israeli officials said. |
| Mr. Steinberg, a Golani Brigade sharpshooter, was one of several soldiers killed when their armored personnel carrier struck a mine or a roadside bomb in Gaza City. Mr. Carmeli, a sergeant who was also in the Golani Brigade, was killed in combat in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Consulate in Houston said on its Facebook page. | Mr. Steinberg, a Golani Brigade sharpshooter, was one of several soldiers killed when their armored personnel carrier struck a mine or a roadside bomb in Gaza City. Mr. Carmeli, a sergeant who was also in the Golani Brigade, was killed in combat in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Consulate in Houston said on its Facebook page. |
| Maya Kadosh, Israel’s Houston-based deputy consul to the Southwest United States, said that Mr. Carmeli’s parents came from Israel about 30 years ago to establish a business on South Padre Island, a resort community on the Gulf Coast. They became part of what she described as a close-knit Jewish community in the area. | Maya Kadosh, Israel’s Houston-based deputy consul to the Southwest United States, said that Mr. Carmeli’s parents came from Israel about 30 years ago to establish a business on South Padre Island, a resort community on the Gulf Coast. They became part of what she described as a close-knit Jewish community in the area. |
| Because there were no Jewish schools, Mr. Carmeli went to Israel to attend high school, Ms. Kadosh said. He was among a number of young Jewish men from the United States who passionately believed in the Israeli cause and volunteered for military service while retaining the values — and citizenship — of America, she said. | Because there were no Jewish schools, Mr. Carmeli went to Israel to attend high school, Ms. Kadosh said. He was among a number of young Jewish men from the United States who passionately believed in the Israeli cause and volunteered for military service while retaining the values — and citizenship — of America, she said. |
| “All of them have joint citizenship,” Ms. Kadosh said. “They are very proud. They are not less American when they serve in the army. They are more American. They feel they protect the values of the place they came from, and they also protect the values of the state of Israel.” | “All of them have joint citizenship,” Ms. Kadosh said. “They are very proud. They are not less American when they serve in the army. They are more American. They feel they protect the values of the place they came from, and they also protect the values of the state of Israel.” |
| Mr. Carmeli’s Facebook page showed the smiling young soldier with his colleagues, many of them clutching their weapons. | Mr. Carmeli’s Facebook page showed the smiling young soldier with his colleagues, many of them clutching their weapons. |
| “He had great energy, yet had a kind and gentle soul,” Rabbi Asher Hecht of Chabad of the Rio Grande Valley, who is a longtime family friend, told The Associated Press. The Israeli Consulate said on Facebook that “Sean was the youngest of three children, and the only son.” | “He had great energy, yet had a kind and gentle soul,” Rabbi Asher Hecht of Chabad of the Rio Grande Valley, who is a longtime family friend, told The Associated Press. The Israeli Consulate said on Facebook that “Sean was the youngest of three children, and the only son.” |
| Elroy Mizrachi, 19, was a lifelong friend who grew up with Mr. Carmeli before they went to Israel. “I’m devastated,” Mr. Mizrachi said by telephone from Ra’anana in central Israel, near Tel Aviv. “He was my brother, my best friend, my role model. He’s gone, but he’s never going to be forgotten.” | |
| Mr. Mizrachi said that Mr. Carmeli was an “all-around sports guy” who excelled at soccer and basketball. He also played the guitar and loved South Padre’s fabled beaches, which attract thousands of college students during spring break. | Mr. Mizrachi said that Mr. Carmeli was an “all-around sports guy” who excelled at soccer and basketball. He also played the guitar and loved South Padre’s fabled beaches, which attract thousands of college students during spring break. |
| “I’ve never seen that kid without a smile,” said Mr. Mizrachi, an Israeli paratrooper. | “I’ve never seen that kid without a smile,” said Mr. Mizrachi, an Israeli paratrooper. |
| He said that he and Mr. Carmeli went to Israel about five years ago because “we were both Zionist, and we had Zionist values,” but that South Padre remained “our home away from home.” Mr. Carmeli was scheduled to be discharged from the army in February, Mr. Mizrachi said, and he planned to travel and then return to the United States to attend the University of Texas. | He said that he and Mr. Carmeli went to Israel about five years ago because “we were both Zionist, and we had Zionist values,” but that South Padre remained “our home away from home.” Mr. Carmeli was scheduled to be discharged from the army in February, Mr. Mizrachi said, and he planned to travel and then return to the United States to attend the University of Texas. |
| “That was his dream — to study at U.T. and be a Longhorn,” Mr. Mizrachi said. “The future was very bright for him.” | “That was his dream — to study at U.T. and be a Longhorn,” Mr. Mizrachi said. “The future was very bright for him.” |
| Mr. Steinberg, who was living in Beersheba, Israel, had attended Pierce College and El Camino Real High School in Southern California. | Mr. Steinberg, who was living in Beersheba, Israel, had attended Pierce College and El Camino Real High School in Southern California. |
| Mr. Steinberg visited Israel for the first time on a trip with his younger brother and sister in June 2012, said Jay Sanderson, the president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, who met with the Steinberg family in Los Angeles on Sunday. | Mr. Steinberg visited Israel for the first time on a trip with his younger brother and sister in June 2012, said Jay Sanderson, the president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, who met with the Steinberg family in Los Angeles on Sunday. |
| “That trip was really life-changing for him,” Mr. Sanderson said. “When he came back, he made the tough decision that he wanted to go back to Israel and support the country.” | “That trip was really life-changing for him,” Mr. Sanderson said. “When he came back, he made the tough decision that he wanted to go back to Israel and support the country.” |
| Mr. Steinberg returned to Israel a few months later. Though he spoke little Hebrew, he joined the Israel Defense Forces. | Mr. Steinberg returned to Israel a few months later. Though he spoke little Hebrew, he joined the Israel Defense Forces. |
| “He was completely dedicated and committed to serving the country of Israel,” his father, Stuart Steinberg, told The A.P. “He was focused, he was clear in what the mission was, and he was dedicated to the work he needed to be doing.” |