Memorial Day
(Asaf Chen)
Sirens blared for two minutes across the country as Israelis stopped to remember fallen soldiers and victims of terror on Tuesday morning. The siren is followed by official memorial services at the 52 military cemeteries throughout the country.
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Memorial Day events on Tuesday began at 8:30 a.m. with a name-reading ceremony in honor of the fallen at the National Memorial Hall For Israel's Fallen on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.
Israel's Memorial Day commemorates the 24,213 men and women have died protecting the country, as well as 4,255 victims of terrorist acts from the early days of Zionism to the present. Since last year's Memorial Day, 59 servicemembers and victims of terror who have lost their lives were added to the list.
Additionally, 86 individuals who became disabled during their service or in terror attacks and subsequently died are also recognized.
In Be'er Sheva, some family members of fallen soldiers opted to visit the graves of their loved ones hours before the ceremony was to begin, in order to avoid the presence of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir who was due to speak.
"It is like poking a finger in our eyes," one man said. others said they wanted to wrap themselves in their pain and avoid the noise that would come with the attendance of Ben-Gvir, who himself did not serve in the military and is an extremist who supported Jewish terrorists.
A terror attack on Memorial Day wounded one man when shots were fired from a passing Palestinian car. the IDF and security forces were conducting a manhunt to apprehend the assailant.
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Soldiers solute the flag at the Kiryat Shaul military cemetery in Tel Aviv
(Photo: AFP)
The main national ceremony begins on Mount Herzl following the siren, held in the presence of President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and Supreme Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut. An Air Force flyby, with jets flying in formation, was scheduled to take place above the national cemetery.
A ceremony to commemorate civilian victims of terrorist attacks is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Mount Herzl.
Amid concerns that protesters may stage vocal demonstrations against the presence of government officials and Knesset members at the upcoming memorial services, Herzog and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi devoted parts of their speeches at the main opening event at the Western Wall Monday night to a call to avoid bringing political divisions into the memorial ceremonies.
Also on Monday night, 10,000 people gathered to take part in a joint Israeli-Palestinian memorial service. Several right-wing protesters gathered outside, flying flags and chanting slogans.
In addition, 7,000 people gathered at Yad L'Shiryon in Latrun in central Israel for an English-language service. The event, organized by the Jewish Agency and the Israeli government, is considered the largest English-language Memorial Day service in Israel and was broadcast live here on Ynetnews to Jews and friends of Israel around the world, from Russia, through Brazil and Argentina to New Zealand.
Israel's Memorial Day commemorates the 24,213 men and women have died protecting the country, as well as 4,255 victims of terrorist acts from the early days of Zionism to the present. Since last year's Memorial Day, 59 servicemembers and victims of terror who have lost their lives were added to the list.
Additionally, 86 individuals who became disabled during their service or in terror attacks and subsequently died are also recognized.