American-born former IDF soldier dies at 23 of apparent suicide
The death of Alex Miller comes amid growing concern over the mental health of Israeli soldiers
IDF soldiers’ helmets are hung from a rail, with Jerusalem in the background, on Israel’s Memorial Day on April 30, 2025 in Jerusalem, Israel. (Ori Aviram / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP)
(JTA) — An American-born former Israeli soldier who was wounded in a West Bank attack has died by apparent suicide, according to Israeli media reports.
Alex Miller, 23, died last week in Miami, where he had been living after he was discharged from the military. In October 2022, while serving in the Israel Defense Forces’ Kfir Brigade, Miller was moderately wounded in a car-ramming attack in the West Bank.
After undergoing a rehabilitation process, Miller returned to the military, according to the Katzrin Regional Council in the Golan Heights, where his father, Danny Miller, lives. A spokesperson for Israel’s defense ministry told Haaretz that Miller requested and received recognition for physical wounds sustained in the attack, but not for mental trauma.
The council said that Miller was also affected by the June 2025 death of his close friend, Noam Shemesh, who was killed by anti-tank fire in Gaza.
“I don’t get it. I have invested my entire life in raising and nurturing him. We had a lot of conversations about the attack, but apparently, the attack and Noam’s death broke him. Even though he didn’t admit it, he suffered a lot,” Miller’s father said, according to Israel National News.
Miller’s death comes amid growing concern over the mental health toll of Israel’s ongoing conflicts. In 2025, 22 active-duty IDF soldiers died by suicide, marking the highest number since 2010, according to Haaretz. Between January 2024 and July 2025, 279 active soldiers attempted suicide, according to a report published by the Knesset Research and Information Center last October.
“The invisible trauma that he quietly carried with him, without letting others know of its volume, eventually defeated the young warrior who had his whole life ahead of him,” the Katzrin Regional Council said in a statement, according to Haaretz.
“We mourn this terrible loss, share in the family’s profound grief and send a big embrace to his dear father, Danny Miller, during this unbearably difficult time,” the statement continued.
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