Israel (Ischu), son of Hannah and Aharon HaCohen, a Holocaust survivor, was born in Rehovot on September 27, 1952. He attended elementary school in Rehovot and completed his post-secondary studies in a biological- The Amos De Shalit High School in Rehovot, and in the summer of 1970 he successfully passed the matriculation exams. He was a quiet, withdrawn child, and in his early years he was sick. “All the possible diseases clung to the man,” his sister said. At school he was a diligent student and loved by his teachers and fellow students. He was naturally alert and curious, especially attracted to nature. There was a great love for animals, and when a free hour was found he rushed to feed the pigeons, or to take care of a wounded housewife. He attended high school with great diligence, out of a strong desire to succeed, and spent nights and days reading books and articles. At the same time, he did not leave his age group and according to his sister, “Since he was in first grade, he was active in the children’s company, and without him, they did not spend any time deciding what to do.” Ishu loved to help a friend in Basra and had a developed sense of justice. Himself, but knew what was the right thing at the right time. ” In his youth, he was a member of the Hanoar Haoved Vehalomed movement. He was always a devoted son to his parents and as a child helped them with the various housework. When he grew older he used to give them good advice and cared for them with great love. In 1969, a son was born to his sister, Amit, and Ishu became David. “He was not Simcha about him,” his family said. For hours he watched the baby and played with him. When Yifat, Amit’s sister, was born, Ishi claimed she was the prettiest of the girls. “Ishu loved the children madly, and made every effort to see them, even for a while.” By the time he was drafted, Israel was a tall, handsome, responsible and gentle man. Israel was drafted into the IDF at the beginning of November 1970 and assigned to the armored corps, and his family urged him to serve as a rearguard officer so that he would not be far from home, and his sister tried to convince him that he had to prevent concern from his parents. He said that every member of the State of Israel must fulfill his military duty without evasion, he took a course in tank and other professional courses, and served as a guide at the Armored Corps School, where he was known as a dedicated soldier and an excellent armor man. His good qualities were discovered in the army, and because of his sense of justice, he often rebelled against an act of injustice Which he saw between soldiers and commanders, his friends appreciated his delicacy and noted him as an authority on gunnery and ammunition, making sure to write home, and when he arrived at his parents’ home for a short vacation he knew hours of happiness in his loved ones and did not tell much about his difficulties. Israel on the Golan Heights, where he fought as a liaison officer in a tank unit, which set out to stop the Syrian attacks on its territory on October 9, 1973. He fell in a bloody battle in the Hermonit region and was brought to eternal rest in the cemetery in Rehovot. His comrades in the battle said that even when the Syrian fire increased, he did not fall down. He encouraged the fighters and about half an hour before his death, managed to rescue the officer from a damaged tank, and he treated him, blocked the flow of blood from his veins and said, “It will be all right.”
