Bernard Cowan

Scottish-Israeli lover of diving and traveling. Murdered by Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Sufa on October 7.

Bernard Cowan (Cohen), a 57-year-old dual Scottish-Israeli citizen, was murdered by Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Sufa on October 7.

A native of Glasgow, Cowan moved to Israel as a teenager and fell in love with the country. According to his family, he was stationed near Sufa during his military service where he met his future wife, Margaret, and they settled there and had three children.

His nephew, Guy Cowan, wrote on Facebook that the news of his uncle’s death was “the hardest news I have heard in my life… I still can’t believe how real this is and wish he was still with us. He was the best and funniest uncle I could have wished for. I am heartbroken.”

Bernard’s friend Romi Cohen Danan wrote on Facebook that the Sufa kibbutz “looked green with so much vegetation and trees all because of you. For years you were responsible for the gardening and you took care of every single tree.”

“Every Tu Bishvat you made sure to organize a tree planting and I remember that you insisted on planting trees that would continue to grow and blossom,” Danan wrote. “Every time we met up you would tell me about your traveling and diving and you really knew how to live life. We will remember you with a lot of love.”

His brother, Colin Cowan, who still lives in Scotland, told the Jewish News that Bernard was “passionate” about Israel, a “really hard worker” and also loved diving and traveling.

Colin recalled visiting Bernard a few decades ago and getting into an argument with his Israeli cousin about the dangers of being near the Gaza border, “and Bernard turned round and said, ‘You come to this country, you love this country, you live in this country and you are willing to die for it.’”