The Story of Elkana Navon: A Fallen IDF Soldier Remembered for His Courage and Friendship

Israeli comedian and writer Hanoch Daum shared a deeply moving post with his followers, telling the story of Elkana Navon, a 20-year-old soldier who was killed in Jenin.

Daum explained that after Navon fell, his friends reached out to him, asking that he tell Elkana’s story to the people of Israel — because, as they said, “his story got lost amid the tragic events of recent days.”

“I’m sharing something I received so we can all understand what a loss this is — and what kind of generation we have,” Daum wrote. He then shared the story written by Elai, one of Elkana’s closest friends.

“I Want to Tell You About Elkana”

“Elkana Navon, who was killed today, was a good friend of mine,” wrote Elai. “I’m only 20, a soldier for just a year, and I’ve already lost seven friends in this war. Elkana was the seventh. I wrote this in his memory.”

He went on to describe a moment that captured Elkana’s character: “During my commanders’ course, I was struggling with the final test — the ‘Maslul’ (route test). I was afraid I wouldn’t make it and wouldn’t be certified as a commander. The day before the final test, I told Elkana there was no chance I’d pass. The standards were too high. He looked me straight in the eyes and said: ‘Bro, you’re getting up tomorrow morning, you’re passing that test, and you’re moving on with your day.’ “I told him not everyone’s a machine like him — someone who breezes through everything.”

“Run!”

“The next morning, at 4 a.m., I quietly got ready so I wouldn’t wake him. I reached the start line, began running, and came to the first obstacle — the wall. I jumped, but my leap wasn’t high enough. I was struggling to pull myself over when suddenly I felt a push that sent me flying over with ease. I hit the ground, looked up — and saw Elkana standing over me. ‘Run!’ he shouted.
He stayed with me the entire test, cheering me on, keeping track of my time, making sure I didn’t slow down for even a second.”

“He Took Off His Shirt to Help Me Succeed”

“Then we got to the monkey bars — steel bars slick with dew. I kept slipping. The metal was wet, and my hands were giving out. Elkana took off his shirt, climbed up, and started drying each bar — one by one, just so I could finish the course.

“When I finally crossed the finish line, I collapsed from exhaustion.
He leaned over me and said, ‘See? You passed, king.’
I asked, ‘Now what?’
And he smiled and said, ‘Now we move on with the day.’”

“A Man of Action, Not Words”

The post quickly went viral, touching thousands of Israelis. Elai ended his tribute with words that captured his friend’s spirit: “That’s who you were, brother — a man of action, not words. Someone who gave everything for his friends and never stopped for himself. May your memory be a blessing.”