Naftali Dean

Mar 4, 2001 - Naftali Dean, 85, of Tel Mond was one of three people killed in a suicide bombing in downtown Netanya.

Naftali Dean immigrated to Israel from Romania in 1934. Originally a citrus grower, he soon became involved in public life. In the 1948 War of Independence, he was the regional Haganah commander.

In 1954, Naftali Dean became the first head of the Tel Mond local council, a post he held until 1970. In 1963 he received an award from the President of Israel for his work in immigrant absorption. After retiring from public life, he set up an insurance agency.

His son, Moshe, relates that despite his age, Naftali Dean had remained active in many fields and helped everyone who came to him with a problem.

Shortly before 9:00 on Sunday morning, he by chance met his niece, Shlomit Ziv, at the corner of Herzl Street in Netanya. They barely had a chance to say hello when the bomb exploded. Both were fatally wounded. Shlomit's son Eitan - for whom Naftali was like a father - said, "Today I lost my mother and my uncle, the two people closest to me."

Naftali Dean is survived by 3 children, 10 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren.

He was buried in Tel Mond.