Merav Daniel described her son as gifted, devoted and full of music. “He was perfect in my eyes. Handsome, kind, a boy full of love, joy and gratitude. He excelled at everything. He honored his parents, he respected every person,” she said.
During the week of mourning, she said, the family heard countless stories from friends who described him as their best friend.
She also spoke of his final moments of resistance. “Oz came out of the tank alive, on his feet. He chose to fight his captors until the very last moment. He tried to grab a grenade from one of the terrorists, and that’s when they shot him and took him into Gaza when he was no longer alive,” she said.
The mother said her son had often spoken about the risk of being kidnapped, telling her before his military service, “I’ll resist, I won’t let them take me.” She said she realized later he had done exactly that. “He sacrificed his life out of choice,” she said.
Despite her grief, she said she wants to focus on her son’s life rather than his death. “Maybe if he hadn’t resisted he would still be alive, but that wouldn’t have been Oz. He really was a true hero. I want to remember his beautiful smile. That’s the Oz I will carry with me forever.”
