November 7, 2025

Source: https://www.youtube.com/live/qDdKQHT1aag?si=ZnxIe_mcIhQhG8c0

Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of the U.S. Central Command, delivered one of the eulogies November 7, 2025, at Tel Aviv’s Kiryat Shaul cemetery for the funeral of Capt. Omer Neutra, an Israeli-American whose body was held in Gaza for two years after he was killed fighting Hamas’ terrorist invasion October 7, 2023. Hamas returned the body November 2.

Neutra left his native Long Island to serve in the Israel Defense Forces before college, then chose to stay in Israel and make aliyah. He became a tank commander and was a week away from his 22nd birthday when he was killed.

Cooper’s seven-minute address was reminiscent of another eulogy delivered by a top-ranking officer for a soldier who had left his childhood home to build something new in Israel, only to be killed by terrorists along the Gaza border: IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Dayan’s speech at the funeral for Ro’i Rothberg in April 1956.

Both commanders idealized the dead soldier as representing the hope for Israel and mourned the loss of one so young and bold. Both committed to Israel’s security and expressed hope that the soldier’s sacrifice would inspire others.

But the differences are even more significant. In 1956, Israel was isolated, surrounded by enemies, dependent on French good will for arms supply, and significant to the United States only as a front in its Cold War with the Soviet Union. After Israel captured Gaza and Sinai later in 1956, the United States forced Israel to give it all back.

In 2025, when Israel has treaties with two of the countries on its borders and diplomatic relations with four other Arab states, Cooper demonstrated that Israel is not alone. He cited “the unbreakable bond” between the United States and Israel and expressed hope that Neutra’s memory will strengthen those ties. The admiral called Neutra a hero who “embodied the best of both the United States and Israel” and “a bridge between two lands, two flags and one shared ideal: that freedom is worth defending.”

To Dayan, Rothberg was a symbol that Israelis could count only on themselves and must never lower their guard. To Cooper, Neutra was a reminder that the futures of Israel and the United States are inextricably intertwined and that they can always count on each other.

— Michael Jacobs, November 7, 2025

Adm. Brad Cooper: Shalom. Mr. President and all of our distinguished guests, Ronen and Orna, loving parents, dear family and friends, it is a great life privilege to join you representing the United States of America, and also I join as a fellow brother in arms.

Today we gather in deep sorrow bound by grief and gratitude to honor the life of Omer. As a soldier, as a commander, as a father, I stand before you with a heavy heart. Every one of us who has worn the uniform understands that service carries with it the possibility of the ultimate sacrifice. We train, we sweat, we lead, and we hope that such a moment never comes. Omer made the ultimate sacrifice we hope no soldier ever has to make, but many have made it nonetheless in service to a higher cause.

Omer’s parents both served. Today we honor you both for your service, and we express our deepest condolences for the loss of Omer. You endured unimaginably long nights of hope and heartbreak. Each sunrise brought renewed prayer. Each sunset carried unanswered questions. And now, as these long nights finally end, I know that this measure of peace comes only after unimaginable pain.

Orna and Ronen, your courage has inspired nations. No words can heal the wounds you bear, but please know that you do not bear them alone.

Now I’d like to take a moment to talk to the world a little bit about Ronen from my perspective, and specifically I’d like to talk about Omer. His smile is leaping from your chests as I stand here.

He is a son of two nations. He embodied the best of both the United States and Israel. Uniquely, he has firmly cemented his place in history as the hero of two countries. A Long Island native raised in Plainview, New York, he was part of America’s promise and Israel’s defense.

In Orna and Ronen’s words, he was a great kid. He loved sports. He was a natural leader, the captain of his sports teams. People gravitated around him. Clearly, a young man with a dynamic personality.

But when his peers went off to college, Omer chose a different path. He chose to be a warrior, a lohem. He deferred his studies to serve in the Israeli Defense Force, believing that duty to one’s people transcends borders and comfort. After his military service was complete, he could have gone back to the United States and lived a different life. But once again he chose service, others before himself. And this time he became an officer, an armor officer.

He did not have to do it. It was his passion.

Now having spent time with Israeli Merkava tanks earlier this year, I can tell you this: It takes extraordinary men and women to lead in the Armored Corps, and that’s exactly who Omer was, extraordinary.

Omer was so passionate about being an armor officer that his leaders wanted him to teach the next generation about armor and tanks, but once again he had a different view. He wanted to lead soldiers and serve in a tactical unit, and so that wish was granted. He was assigned in the famous Armored Corps 7th Brigade, known throughout the world, 77th Battalion, stationed in the vicinity of Gaza at a location known as the White House Post, appropriately, leading a group of two tanks and a group of Golani infantry.

On October 6, Omer spoke with his parents and expressed his hope that the ensuing days would be quiet, but that he and his men were ready. It would be the last time his parents heard his voice.

On the morning of October 7, after learning of the brutal Hamas attack and with little to no direction, Omer took it upon himself to do what only the most bold and courageous in all of history do: He ran toward the sound of gunfire.

Once again, he didn’t have to do it. He could have waited. He could have taken a moment to rest. He could have done nothing. But that’s not who this hero is; it’s reflected on your shirts.

He led his tank and armored unit toward the enemy, taking them on. In those terrible hours, he did what he had always done: He stood firm. He led from the front and protected others.

In the Torah there is a commandment that many of you may know: Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor. Omer lived those words. When danger came, he did not stand idly by. He ran toward it, not out of fearlessness, but out of love. He fulfilled the Torah’s command with his life to protect his brothers, his people and his home.

Omer was in every sense a hero, a young man of purpose and conviction whose courage reflected both his upbringing as well as his calling.

Omer’s life was a bridge between two lands, two flags and one shared ideal: that freedom is worth defending. That bridge was cruelly shattered by violence, but its foundation, his dedication and love of country, remains unbroken.

Today, Omer is home and laid for eternal rest. For Orna and Ronen, there was only one thing they wanted, which was to bring their son home, and that mission through compassion and perseverance at the highest levels of our government was fulfilled.

That homecoming came through the tireless work of many, led by President Trump, as the president has said. His unrelenting effort, plus those of special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, helped bring about the ceasefire that made this possible, and Steve and Jared send their prayers and condolences to you both. They both hope that Omer’s return provided you with a bit of closure and peace. 

And yet, as we lay Omer to rest in the land he defended, our mission is not complete. There are six other souls remaining in Gaza. Their families too wait for closure.

It is my understanding that the Jewish Mishnah teaches, “Whoever saves one life, it is as though he saved an entire world.” Well, Omer’s sacrifice transcends the religions of the world. His actions are captured so vibrantly in my own tradition. I was always taught: “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

His courage reminds us that service is not bound by nationality, but by humanity. I join an entire nation here in Israel and across the Atlantic in the United States in grief, in pride and in purpose. May Omer’s memory further strengthen the unbreakable bond between the United States and Israel. May Omer’s example inspire others to serve with honor. And may we, the living, be worthy of the sacrifice that Omer made. Omer, welcome home. You will not be forgotten. Yehi zichro baruch: May his memory be a blessing.