Idan Amedi in Pain: "Every Time I Talk About Him I Cry"

In a memorial and tribute project for about 60 soldiers and security personnel who fell in the war, singer and actor Idan Amedi, who fought in Gaza and was even injured, participated. During the event, Amedi took the stage and shared a moving story about his friend Akiva Yassinsky, may his memory be a blessing, who fought alongside him and fell in battle.

Amedi said: "Every time I talk about Akibush I cry. He was good, smart, and funny, and I miss him as a friend and a man of action. Before the war, it happened that we hadn't met for almost a year. When I met the guys for the first time they were so excited, they approached me, hugged me".

Later, Amedi spoke about the first meeting with Akiva during reserve duty: "Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Akibush and another fighter trying to assemble a device that would help us in the tunnels. I approached him, he didn’t hug me or ask how I was. He simply said 'Hello Amedi, do you remember how to assemble this device?'. I told him: 'Yes Akiva, how are you?', he replied 'Thank Hashem, show me how to assemble this, please'. I told him 'Wait, cigarette, coffee, I haven't seen you in a year', and he answered in his typical way - 'Amedi, this is not Caesarea, first the device, then the cigarette'.

Amedi recounted the last moments before his friend fell: "That Shabbat, we both walked a lot around the houses, long walks intended to bridge gaps about home, what we left behind, and also the state of the people of Israel. He asked me more than once 'Where can we do more?', and I felt as if he was saying 'Do more, Amedi'. That Shabbat he decided to take over my helmet as well and ensure additional protections. When I asked him why the urgency on Shabbat? He replied 'Pikuach nefesh, so you'll be ready'. That way, with a short sentence and action, he saved my sight and hearing in that cursed event".