Today, the funeral of former Israeli chief of General Staff and cabinet minister Rafael “Raful” Eitan, who drowned yesterday, will take place.
Rabbi Lazer – Israeli blogger, combat veteran, and dispenser of great advice – recalls the Raful he knew personally.
Raful and I knew each other for years. He hand picked me for the Beirut mission in 1982, when he was COS and when I was in Special Forces reserves. We had a strong bond of mutual respect. On several occasions, I visited him at his moshav in Tel Adashim, and he returned visits to my home. On the religious issue, we were exact opposites, but we shared a mutual love for the Land of Israel and the People of Israel.Raful was straight as an arrow. He lived his life in simplicity and never compromised one iota of what he believed in. He was the salt of the earth. Opportunism and political shtick were an anathema to him. That’s why I had nothing but respect for him. We’re all going to miss you, Raful.
