During the Israel-Hamas war in 2014, Sean Carmeli, an American serving in the Israeli army was tragically killed, when his APC was struck by an anti-tank missile, killing him and 13 soldiers in his unit.

There were concerns that Sean who split his time between Ranaana and Texas, would have a deserted funeral as not enough people would show up but when word got out that he was a fan of Maccabi Haifa soccer team, fans of the club posted a photo of Carmeli to the teams Facebook page, asking people to go.

Over 20,000 people arrived to pay their respects.

Sean was 21-years-old when he was killed. Born to Israeli parents, Alon and Dalya, who now live in the US, he was a returning citizen who chose to stay in Israel when his parents moved to Texas for work; he has two sisters, Or and Gal.
According to The Michael Levin Lone Soldier Center’s Facebook page, Carmeli was a returning citizen who came to Israel to “strengthen, unite, and define what it means to be a Jew

Photo: DUDU-BAZAK- Maccabi Haifa