The young men's love of Israel ultimately led them to join the Israel
Defense Forces, and they ended up fighting for the Jewish state in the
Gaza Strip this week.
On Sunday, Steinberg, 24, and Carmeli, 21, were killed there. They
were among 13 Israeli soldiers and 65 Palestinians killed Sunday during
the first major ground battle in two weeks of fighting between Israel
and Hamas.Steinberg, whose family lives in Southern California's San Fernando
Valley, was a sharpshooter for the Golani Brigade, his father, Stuart
Steinberg, told The Associated Press on Sunday.
Earlier Sunday, the IDF said in a statement that Carmeli, 21, a
sergeant, was killed in combat in the Gaza Strip. Carmeli was from South
Padre Island, Texas, said Deputy Consul General of Israel to the
Southwest Maya Kadosh. She said Carmeli moved to Israel four years ago
and added that the consulate helped his family get a flight there
Sunday.
Rabbi Asher Hecht of Chabad of the Rio Grande Valley, who is a
longtime family friend, said Carmeli joined the Israeli army after
finishing high school in Israel and was in the Golani Brigade. Carmeli
was from Ra'anana, Israel, according to the IDF statement.
"He had great energy, yet had a kind and gentle soul," Hecht said.
"It's been a very tough day for us," he added. "We lost a gem."
Carmeli was the youngest of three and has two sisters who currently
live in Israel. He was "loved by his parents infinitely," Hecht said.
Steinberg was living in Beersheba, Israel. He attended Pierce College and El Camino Real High School in Southern California.
He visited Israel for the first time on a Birthright Israel trip with
his younger brother and sister in June 2012, his father said. When he
returned, he made an announcement to his parents that he was planning to
return and join the IDF, Steinberg said. He made good on that promise
less than six months later, making the move in December.
"He went back," Steinberg said. "He was completely dedicated and
committed to serving the country of Israel. He was focused, he was clear
in what the mission was, and he was dedicated to the work he needed to
be doing."
On Sunday morning, the Steinbergs were visited by representatives
from the Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles. They broke the news
of Max Steinberg's death.
Stuart Steinberg last spoke to his son at 4 a.m. Saturday California
time, hours before his death. Max Steinberg called his father to tell
him that his group had been injured when two of their tanks collided.
They had to return to Israel for treatment at the hospital. Some
soldiers had broken bones, and Max Steinberg had sprained his back, his
father said.
"He called me up at 4 a.m. that morning and said he'd be returning to
Gaza, back to combat, to be with his friends," Steinberg said.
Steinberg said the family is leaving on Monday for Israel, where
their son will be buried. On Max Steinberg's Facebook page, hundreds of
people liked a profile photo that appeared to be a selfie of him in
uniform, armed, with his helmet on. Dozens gave their condolences.
Jay Sanderson, who heads The Jewish Federation of Greater Los
Angeles, said in an email message to the community that "our thoughts
are with his family and our community is committed to support them in
any way they need - and to honor Max's memory."
The Jewish Federations of North America said in a statement that its
"deepest sympathies" were with the families of 18 Israeli soldiers
killed over the last two days. "Along with all of Israel, and the entire
Jewish People, we mourn their loss as if they were our own," the
statement said.
On Sunday night, the U.S. State Department confirmed the deaths of Steinberg and Carmeli.
"We can confirm the deaths of U.S. citizens Max Steinberg and Sean
Carmeli in Gaza. Out of respect for those affected by this, we have
nothing further at this time," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki
said.
