Lifelong friends, and a pregnant wife, expecting a few days’ vacation, to be laid to rest today
Israel begins mourning Burgas bombing victims
The five Israeli victims of the Burgas suicide bombing are to be buried on Friday: Amir Menashe and Itzik Kolengi, both 28 and from Petah Tikvah; Maor Harush, 24, and Elior Price, 25, both of Acre; and Kochava Shriki, 44, of Rishon Lezion.
Menashe and Kolengi were childhood friends who traveled to Bulgaria with their wives, who were both injured in the attack. Natalie Menashe was lightly injured in the blast while Gilat Kolengi, who was seriously injured in the explosion, had not been told of her husband’s death even after she was flown back to Israel on Thursday night. By Friday morning Gilat’s condition had improved to moderate condition and her family planned to tell her of her husband’s fate.
The Kolengis had celebrated the birth of their first daughter four months ago and planned a long weekend away without the child, who was left in the care of her grandparents.
Harush and Price also grew up together. When news of the attack reached the Harush home, family members hoped for the best, but their hopes were dashed when they were asked by authorities to provide DNA samples.
In the hours following the explosion, Itzik Shriki, who was lightly injured in the attack, searched for his wife until the terrible truth of her fate became clear. She was taken to a hospital in Sofia, without him being told. Shriki will be laid to rest at a cemetery in Rishon Lezion at 12:30 on Friday.
According to Channel 2, the couple had recently succeeded in becoming expectant parents after several years of frustrated attempts.
“Both of them have gone, she and her baby,” wailed Yael Mored, Shriki’s sister. “They just went for three days of holiday and now she will come back in a coffin.”
Kolengi and Menashe are to be buried in Petah Tikva’s Segula Cemetery on Friday, Kolengi at 10:30 and Menashe at 11:30. Harush is to be buried in the Nahalat Asher Cemetery at noon. Price is to be buried at 3 p.m. Shriki will be laid to rest at 12:30 in at the Rishon Lezion Cemetery.
