By Joel Leyden
Israel News Agency / Jewish News Agency
Jerusalem, Israel — March 1, 2023 … Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this afternoon announced:
“A short time ago, Israel apprehended the three terrorists who were responsible for the murder of American tourist Elan Ganeles.
I salute the IDF and ISA for quickly locating the terrorists and carrying out a precise operation.
Whoever tries to hurt us will pay the price.”
Elan Ganeles, a 26-year-old Israeli-American murdered in a terror attack near the Dead Sea on Monday, was laid to rest in a Ra’anana cemetery on Wednesday.
Ganeles’s family, who live in West Hartford, Connecticut, flew to Israel for the funeral. Thousands of Israelis were in attendance and several thousand viewed the funeral online.
Eulogizing her son, Ganeles’s mother Caroline said, “He was the brightest boy in the world… he had never-ending inquisitiveness.”
“While in Israel, he fell in love with the land and the people. This is where he wanted to be,” his father Andrew said. “He was going to make aliyah.”
Ganeles was raised in West Hartford, where his family belonged to the Young Israel of West Hartford synagogue, and he attended Modern Orthodox schools.
Statement from the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford
Our community is shocked and outraged at the brutal murder of 27 year old West Hartford, CT resident, Elan Ganeles. Elan was gunned down in a terrorist attack in Israel Monday evening. Ganeles, who grew up in West Hartford and was in Israel to attend a wedding, was driving when 2 Palestinian terrorists drove up to his car and opened fire. He was rushed to Hadassah Medical Center in critical condition as paramedics attempted to resuscitate him. He was sadly pronounced dead at the hospital.
“Once again, a civilian was targeted by those who see violence toward the innocent as a solution ” said David Waren, President of the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford. “We extend our deepest condolences to the Ganeles family and affirm our solidarity with the people of Israel at this time of escalating violence. May Elan’s memory be a blessing for his family and our entire community.”
Statement from Jewish Federations of North America
Jewish Federations are devastated by the news of the horrific terror attack that took the life of West Hartford, CT native Elan Ganeles. Elan’s love for the Jewish people and Israel led him to volunteer in his local community and to serve in the IDF. A recent college graduate, Elan had a bright future ahead of him. Our hearts go out to his family and to the West Hartford community and we cry together with them. May Elan’s memory be for a blessing.