Soldier who battled terrorists in supermarket gets posthumous citation for bravery

The army awarded Staff Sgt. Tuvia Yanai Weissman, who was killed in a terror attack earlier this year, one of its highest honors Tuesday for representing a “shining example of IDF values.”

Weissman had been shopping with his family in a West Bank supermarket on February 18, when two Palestinian terrorists began attacking customers. The 21-year-old off-duty soldier and another man were seriously wounded in the attack; doctors at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center pronounced Weissman dead a few hours later.

As he was off-duty at the time, the Nahal Brigade soldier was without a service weapon, but nevertheless fought the attackers “barehanded,” the army said in a statement about his award.

“He demonstrated in his actions a shining example of IDF values,” the army said.

Weissman received a citation from Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Roni Numa, approved by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot.

Two more IDF soldiers received citations for bravery and courage for their actions in response to terror attacks.

Sgt. Lihi Malka, who serves in a Home Front Command rescue and training unit, fought off an East Jerusalem man who had stabbed and seriously wounded another soldier near Adam junction, north of the capital. Malka, who witnessed the attack, shot and killed the 22-year-old attacker.

Col. Yisrael Shomer, head of the Binyamin Regional Brigade, gave the citation to Malka, who “acted swiftly and displayed heroism, a cool character and professionalism,” the army said.

Col. Shai Kalper, of the Samaria Regional Brigade in the West Bank, presented Sgt. Matan Shamir of the Givati Infantry Brigade with a medal of honor, for defending himself and his commander against two attackers in the city of Hebron.

In December, Taher Fanun, 19, and Mustafa Fanun, 16, cousins from Hebron, attacked Shamir and his officer while they were on guard duty near Nablus, lightly and moderately injuring them, respectively.

Despite his injuries, Shamir managed to kill the two attackers, displaying “determination, professionalism and initiative,” the IDF said.

In addition to the citations, the army also awarded letters of recognition to the Givati Brigade’s Tzabar Battalion and to Shai Ohayon, the operations officer for the Border Police’s Rama Battalion.

Brig. Gen. Lior Carmeli, head of the IDF’s West Bank Division, honored Ohayon for his help in directing and carrying out a rescue operation after two soldiers accidentally entered the Qalandiya refugee camp and came under attack earlier this year.

The Tzabar Battalion received its letter of recognition from Central Command chief Numa for its overall service in the West Bank.