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Max Steinberg (soldier)

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Coordinates: 31°46′26″N 35°10′50″E / 31.77389°N 35.18056°E / 31.77389; 35.18056
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Max Steinberg
Born(1989-11-27)November 27, 1989
Los Angeles, California, US
DiedJuly 20, 2014(2014-07-20) (aged 24)
Shuja'iyya, Gaza City
Buried
Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem, Israel's national cemetery
31°46′26″N 35°10′50″E / 31.77389°N 35.18056°E / 31.77389; 35.18056
AllegianceIsrael
ServiceIsrael Defense Forces
RankSergeant[1]
UnitGideon Battalion, Golani Brigade
Known forLone soldier sharpshooter killed in the Gaza Strip
War2014 Gaza War (Operation Protective Edge) †
Alma materLos Angeles Pierce College

Max Donald Steinberg (November 27, 1989 – July 20, 2014) was an American-Israeli soldier in the Israel Defense Forces killed in the Gaza Strip during the 2014 Gaza War.[2] A lone soldier, his funeral in Israel was attended by over 30,000 people, including the U.S. ambassador to Israel.

Early life and move to Israel

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Max Donald Steinberg, son of Stuart and Evelyn (Evie) Steinberg, was born in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, in the San Fernando Valley, and was Jewish.[3][4][1] He graduated from El Camino Real High School and Los Angeles Pierce College.[5] He first visited Israel in June 2012 on a Birthright Israel trip.[6]

He then returned to Israel in September 2012, to make aliyah in December 2012 and to join the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as a lone soldier.[1][6] In Israel, Steinberg lived in Beersheba and was a sharpshooter in the Gideon Battalion of the Golani Brigade from early 2013.[2][1] He was one of 6,000 lone soldiers without family in Israel, 1,100 of whom were from the United States.[6][7]

Death and funeral

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On July 20, 2014, Steinberg and six members of the Golani Brigade were riding in an armored personnel carrier in Shuja'iyya, Gaza City, during the Battle of Shuja'iyya in the fourth day of Operation Protective Edge (the 2014 Gaza War), when it was hit by explosives laid by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, and the stalled vehicle was hit by a Hamas anti-tank missile.[8][1][6] He was killed, along with six other IDF soldiers.[1] According to the Israeli government, Steinberg's unit had been attempting to locate Gaza Strip smuggling tunnels in Shuja'iyya that were being used by Hamas.[9][10] Steinberg and another American-Israeli lone soldier Nissim "Sean" Carmeli were among 13 IDF soldiers killed during the initial clashes between Israel and Hamas in Gaza in July 2014.[10]

Steinberg's funeral was held on Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem, Israel's national cemetery, on July 23, 2015. It was attended by approximately 30,000 people.[6][11] At the funeral, U.S. ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro gave a eulogy on behalf of the United States.[12] Hours before the funeral, U.S. secretary of state John Kerry had met with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Tel Aviv to negotiate a ceasefire.[6][7] Kerry also met with Steinberg's family in Israel.[2]

Upon hearing that Steinberg was a fan of the New England Patriots, businessman and team owner Robert Kraft wrote a letter to the family offering his condolences.[13]

Americans for Ben-Gurion University established the Max Steinberg Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund, to commemorate his service by providing full scholarships to Ben-Gurion University for IDF combat reservists in perpetuity, with preference going to lone soldiers.[4]

Later in 2014, Steinberg's younger sister Paige moved to Israel to join the IDF.[14]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Rivkin, Jacob (July 26, 2022). "8 years later, fallen soldier's family returns to Israel, now with deep connections". The Times of Israel.
  2. ^ a b c Stuart and Evie Steinberg (August 18, 2014). "A eulogy for our son, Max Steinberg". Jewish Journal. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  3. ^ Noah Smith (July 22, 2014). "Max Steinberg's Jewish Journey From Los Angeles Suburb to Death in Gaza". The Forward.
  4. ^ a b Strongin, Ronni (April 22, 2015). "The Enduring Legacy of Max Steinberg z"l". A4BGU.
  5. ^ ""He Did What He Wanted To Do" says Mother of Soldier From Woodland Hills". Jewish Home LA. July 29, 2014.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "U.S. 'Lone Soldier' Max Steinberg Gets Hero's Burial in Israel". NBC News. July 23, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Gaza conflict: Two Americans in Israeli forces killed". BBC. July 21, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  8. ^ David Caspi (July 22, 2021). "Parents of US-born fallen soldier visit his grave for first time in 2 years," Israel HaYom.
  9. ^ "The Immigrant Soldiers Dying for Israel in Gaza". Time. July 23, 2014.
  10. ^ a b Abdollah, Tami (July 21, 2014). "Max Steinberg and Nissim Carmeli: Two Americans killed in Gaza". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  11. ^ Chabin, Michele (July 23, 2014). "30,000 attend funeral for American killed by Hamas". USA Today. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  12. ^ Shapiro, Dan (July 23, 2015). "Eulogy for Max Steinberg". U.S. Embassy in Israel. U.S. State Department. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  13. ^ Gary Dzen (August 4, 2014). "Patriots Owner Robert Kraft Pens Letter to Fallen Soldier's Family". Boston.com. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  14. ^ Moskowitz, Israel (December 22, 2014). "Sister of soldier who fell in Gaza op makes aliyah". Ynet. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
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