Background
Klein was born in Raanana, Israel. His father"s side originated from Germany and fled to Palestine at the onset of World World War World War II Most of his mother"s family was killed in the Holocaust.
Klein was born in Raanana, Israel. His father"s side originated from Germany and fled to Palestine at the onset of World World War World War II Most of his mother"s family was killed in the Holocaust.
Klein studied Industrial Engineering and Management at Ariel University Center of Samaria, and graduated with honors.
Klein was killed in the Battle of Bint Jbeil after jumping on a grenade to save his fellow soldiers. Klein lived in a home he built on his own in the Israeli outpost of Hayovel, near Eli, Mateh Binyamin. Klein began his Israel Defense Forces service in the Paratroopers Brigade but later transferred to the Golani Brigade"s Egoz Reconnaissance Unit.
At the time of his death, Klein was the deputy commander of the 51st Battalion of the Golani Brigade.
Battle of Bint Jbeil
During the Battle of Bint Jbeil, a hand grenade was thrown over the wall that was between Hezbollah militants, and Klein and his unit Klein told his men "Klein"s dead, Klein"s dead" and subsequently jumped on the live grenade and muffled the explosion with his body.
The soldiers reported that Klein recited the Jewish prayer, Shema Yisrael, as he jumped on the grenade. According to The Telegraph he yelled "Long live Israel", although this was probably a misinterpretation of "Shema Yisrael".
He died one day before his 31st birthday.
Roi Klein became a symbol for heroism in Israel. A new school in Netanya and Raanana have been named after him. In July 2009, the Israel High Court of Justice ruled,inequitable, to demolish the home of Roi Klein, where his family was residing, among 11 homes in Eli.