1,000 pay respects to IDF officer, an immigrant from Mexico, killed in accident

Mourners heed family’s call to attend Mount Herzl funeral of Cpt. Yishai Rosales, most of whose relatives live abroad

An estimated 1,000 people attended the funeral of an IDF officer at Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl military cemetery Thursday after the man’s family invited the public to attend.

Captain Yishai Rosales, 23, was killed in an accident during a military training exercise on a base in southern Israel on Tuesday. He was laid to rest around 1 a.m.

The Rosales family, who immigrated to Israel from Mexico several years ago, made the appeal on Channel 2 television Wednesday evening, explaining that they had few family members in Israel.

Approximately 1,000 people turned out to pay their respects to Morales, according to Ynet. Many of those who attended were IDF soldiers in uniform and Israelis who immigrated from Latin America, Channel 2 reported.

Friends and family attend the funeral of Cpt. Yishai Rosales, at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, on January 7, 2015. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90) — Friends and family attend the funeral of Cpt. Yishai Rosales, at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, on January 7, 2016. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Aharon, the captain’s father, said at the funeral that “you went from us like a simple man, a righteous man hidden for us and for all the Jewish people.

“Thank you for all you did for us these 23 years. The day will come and we will meet again, my dear and beloved son. You left us and took a large part of our heart with you. Watch over us because we’re going to guard what you left us,” Ynet quoted him saying.

The family of of Cpt. Yishai Rosales mourn during his funeral at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, on January 7, 2015. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90) — The family of of Cpt. Yishai Rosales mourn during his funeral at Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem, on January 7, 2016. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

“He was good to everyone,” his brother Michael told Channel 2 earlier in the evening. “I don’t think there was a person that knew him that he did not help.”

“Yishai was a friend to everyone, an extraordinary person,” he added.

Cpt. Yishai Rosales is laid to rest at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, on January 7, 2015. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90) — Cpt. Yishai Rosales is laid to rest at Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem, on January 7, 2016. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Michael said that his brother chose to serve in IDF’s Haredi Netzah Yehuda Battalion, in the Kfir Infantry Brigade, to preserve his religious identity.

“He came home last weekend, and went back to his base Saturday night,” he said. “Yesterday morning, we talked on our family WhatsApp group and he said he was doing field exercises and that he was fine.”

Cpt. Yishai Rosales, who was killed during an IDF training exercise on Tuesday, January 5, 2016 (screen capture)

On Tuesday afternoon, a mortar round exploded during a routine drill on the Tzeelim base, located about 25 kilometers (15 miles) west of Beersheba, killing Rosales and lightly wounding another solider. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of captain.

In response, the head of the IDF Ground Forces, Major General Guy Tzur, postponed all ground forces exercises until an initial investigation of the incident could be carried out, the army said in a statement.

Colonel Ofir Levy, head of a reserve armored brigade, will lead the investigation into the incident, the army said.

Tamar Pileggi contributed to this report.