Two Eilat bombing victims laid to rest

Emil Almaliakh, 32, Michael Ben-Sa'adon, 27 and Israel Samolia, 26, died Monday.

By JPOST STAFF, HERB KEINON
eilat victims 298 (photo credit: Foreign Ministry)
eilat victims 298
(photo credit: Foreign Ministry)
Two of the three victims of Monday's suicide bombing in Eilat were laid to rest on Wednesday. Emil Almaliakh, 32 Almaliakh was a member of one of Eilat's largest and most veteran families. He was born and raised in the city, graduating from the Goldwater High School. He served in the Golani Brigade's elite reconnaissance unit and performed reserve duty with the Alpinist unit on Mount Hermon. Almaliakh opened the Lehamim bakery eight months ago. Michael Ben-Sa'adon, who also died in Monday's attack, joined him as a partner in the bakery three months ago. Their families said the two men had become good friends. "They were like hand and glove," said Leah Banita, Almaliakh's aunt. "When someone dies in a terrorist attack, everyone always praises them, but he truly was the jewel in the crown. No one can compare, a wonderful son," said an uncle, Ayush Almaliakh. Almaliakh is survived by his wife, Keren, and two-year-old daughter, Jan. Michael Ben-Sa'adon, 27 Ben-Sa'adon moved to Eilat from his home town of Acre four years ago, and there he met his wife, Shani. On the morning of the attack, he came to work at 5 a.m., as usual, and returned home at 8:15 a.m. to take his eight-month-old son, Nahorai, to day care. It was the last time Shani saw him. "He was clever, an amazing father and a wonderful husband," she said. "No one had anything bad to say about him. I still can't believe it. All the people now in the house were here for our son's circumcision. It's like just another party and he'll walk in any minute. Now I have to be strong for our son, to raise him the best I can." Ben-Sa'adon will be buried in the new cemetery in Acre. Israel Samolia, 26 Samolia, known to all as Izzy, worked at the bakery. Originally from Peru, he immigrated to Israel from Miami with his family several years ago. They all returned to the United States, but three years ago Samolia returned to Israel on his own. Heli Azulai, who works near the bakery, spoke of Izzy's cheerful, smiling personality. "We were friends and he was very neighborly," she said. Samolia's family has requested that his body be flown to Miami for burial. His parents and sister live in Miami. Officials in Israel on Wednesday were making the arrangement to have the body flown to the US. Eliyahu Yifrach, the consul for consular affairs at Israel's consulate in Miami is in contact with the family, and - accompanied by a doctor - went to their home on Tuesday to tell them that Israel had been killed in the Eilat attack.