Fallen IDF Soldier Elishai Young Granted Israeli Citizenship Posthumously

When 20-year-old Sgt. Elishai Young fell in battle in northern Gaza in October 2024, he did so as a proud IDF soldier but not yet an Israeli citizen. A member of the Hebrew Israelite community in Dimona, Elishai served in the 52nd Armored Battalion of the Iron Tracks Brigade. He stood shoulder to shoulder with his fellow soldiers defending the Jewish state, and he paid the ultimate price.

This week, in a powerful gesture of national recognition and gratitude, Israel posthumously granted him citizenship. Interior Minister Moshe Arbel presented Elishai’s family with the honorary citizenship certificate, emphasizing that this act is far more than symbolic. “Granting honorary citizenship is not just symbolic it is a clear declaration: Elishai was an inseparable part of the State of Israel, and his family will always be a part of us,” Arbel said.

For the Hebrew Israelite community, long residents of Dimona with a deep sense of spiritual connection to the land, this recognition carries profound meaning. Elishai’s life, and now his posthumous citizenship, serves as a bridge between a community of faith and a nation forged through shared destiny.

At his funeral, held in his hometown of Dimona, Elishai’s mother, Oshriya, spoke with heartbreaking clarity: “There is no one like Elishai. He went to the army, and whenever he had a few days or time, he would come to his family. He always said, ‘Mom, I’m coming home. I’m coming back, don’t worry. Nothing will happen to me.’”

Her grief reflects the profound loss felt not only by his family but by a nation that owes its security to young men like Elishai. “I want Elishai back in my arms. I want him back,” she cried out—a mother’s enduring love echoing across a country in mourning.

Elishai’s citizenship now affirms something his sacrifice already made true: he was a son of Israel. A warrior who lived for his people and died in their defense. His name joins the sacred roll call of heroes who have fallen so that others may live in peace.

In honoring him, Israel sends a clear message to all who wear its uniform no matter their background, they are part of the nation’s soul.

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