Standing on a truckbed that was used as an impromptu stage, Yehuda's father Benny Shoham thanked the crowd for its support, and called on all those present to maintain restraint despite the pain. He recalled his son's smile and laughter, and declared that "he was a Jew, and all he wanted to do was return home."

Standing next to Shoham, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared, "Dear Benny and Batsheva, I did not come here to give a speech, but to cry with you. Yesterday I stood at Yehuda Haim's bedside and held his hand. It was hard for me to leave him. I saw you praying determinedly, and I prayed with you in my heart. How can anyone murder a baby?"

Sharon blamed ceaseless Palestinian incitement for Yehuda's death, and declared that while he was responsible for all the children of Israel, the burden lay heavily on his shoulders.

"If we keep on asking, every day, 'How much longer?' then we will lose. But if we stand together and grit our teeth, even when tears choke our throats, we will succeed," he said.

Despite Shoham's pleas for restraint, and his exhortations to the crowd to heed Sharon's words, Sharon was continually interrupted by people, who called for vengeance and declared that he is to blame for the current situation.

Yehuda Haim was the young couple's only child. Batsheva, whose parents live in the United States, married yeshiva student Benny in Shilo three years ago.