Cohen, Emil

Emil, son of Yulia and Avraham Hacohen, was born in 1948 in Bizerte, Tunisia, and immigrated to Israel with his family in 1957. His family settled in Be’er Sheva, where Emil studied at the Tze’elim elementary school. He went to work at an early age to help support the family, and began to work with construction contractors, specializing in construction work, and was a good-hearted and compassionate fellow, loved helping others, caring for the family, helping his sick father and building various facilities in his parents’ home to improve his appearance. In his spare time, he liked to play judo, and was drafted into the IDF in mid-February 1966 and assigned to the Armored Corps. As part of his service he participated in the Six-Day War, and in his discharge certificate from the regular service he was told: “He has a good ability to organize warehouses, and is disciplined and sympathetic to his environment.” In February 1969, Emil was discharged from the regular army, and served as a sabotage officer on the southern front, on the 7th of Tishrei 5734 (7.10.1973), he was taken to the eternal rest of the cemetery in Be’er Sheva, A brother and sister, and was promoted to the rank of sergeant in his letter of condolence to the bereaved family: “Emil was a dear and devoted friend,” the defense minister wrote at the time Dayan: “Emil was an excellent soldier and a devoted friend. He was loved for everything. “