Capt. Netanel Silberg, z”l

Captain (Res.) Netanel Silberg, son of Eilat and Dov, twin brother of Eliasaf, brother of Uriah, Rachel, Yonatan, and Moriah, and partner of Hadass, was born in Alon Shvut, Gush Etzion. From childhood, he knew how to combine seriousness with a sense of humor. Netanel studied at the elementary school in Alon Shvut and at the Kiryat Arba Yeshiva High School. For four years, he studied at the Hesder Yeshiva in Beit She’an, after which he enlisted for full military service. His friends describe him as a brilliant, profound, and thorough student, full of humility, who was for them a model and an example. A leader whose leadership came from the force of his personality. A man of giving, generous and sensitive, who volunteered with the ILAN association and loved the landscapes of the Jordan Valley.

Nathanael enlisted in the IDF in August 2012, in the Combat Engineering Corps, in the elite Yahalom unit. He was assigned as a fighter in the Yael reconnaissance unit. Out of a sense of mission, Nathanael went on to officer training. At the end of the course, he returned to the unit and was assigned as a training team commander. His soldiers describe a humane commander who knew how to be tough, but also to extend a gentle hand. An admired officer, principled, exceptional, and groundbreaking, he was a charismatic leader, purposeful and modest. His team, Team Silberg, became a symbol of excellence, uncompromising quality, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

Netanel was discharged with the rank of captain. He continued to serve in the reserves in Yahalom and to train the unit’s next generation. In civilian life, he worked supervising mine-clearing sites. Together with his partner, Hadass, he lived in Na’ama in the Jordan Valley. The two planned to marry at the end of the war.

On October 7, 2023, the holiday of Simchat Torah 5784, Hamas launched a murderous surprise attack on Israel. Under the cover of barrages of thousands of rockets, thousands of armed terrorists crossed the border into Israel, infiltrating cities and taking control of communities, outposts, and bases. The terrorists murdered around eight hundred civilians and abducted hundreds of Israelis to the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of security personnel fell in the battles. That morning, Netanel reported to his unit, without waiting for an emergency call-up order. When he was told there were enough fighters and he could go, he refused to leave. He was determined to take part in the ground maneuver and defend the country. He agreed to enter Gaza in any role, as long as he could fight. Although he had been a team commander during his regular service, he removed his officer’s ranks and served as a platoon sergeant.

On December 18, 2023, Netanel fell in battle in the northern Gaza Strip as he charged forward and closed in on the enemy. He was 33 years old. Netanel was laid to rest in the military section of the Kfar Etzion cemetery. Hadass, his partner, eulogized him: “All the dead are always the most beautiful and the best and the bravest. But you really were all of that.”

May his memory be blessed.