Netanyahu on Memorial Day: As threats grow, determination to defend Israel grows

I24news

“As the threats from our enemies to destroy our homeland grow, our determination to defend our homeland grows,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a ceremony to remember the loss of Israel’s fallen soldiers in Jerusalem Tuesday, hours before a minute-long siren was set to mark the beginning of Israel’s official Memorial Day.

“We saw this last summer during Operation Protective Edge, such courage, unity and sacrifice,” Netanyahu said at the Yad Labanim memorial. The Israeli leader referenced the 67 IDF soldiers who died during the Gaza war.

Netanyahu also spoke of Jews from around the world who come to serve in the Israeli military, known as lone soldiers, who were killed during the war. “They left family and a comfortable life abroad and chose to join fighting units,” Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu told the bereaved families present that they could find solace in the fact that their sons and daughters had died ensuring the future of the Jewish people.

Israel on Tuesday marks the national Memorial Day (Yom Hazikaron) to honor its 23,320 fallen soldiers and civilian victims of wars and terrorism. A minute-long siren will sound out around the country a 8 p.m. (1700 GMT), during which Israelis will stop everything (including driving) and stand in silence, commemorating the fallen.

The day has been observed in Israel for those who fell since 1860, when Jews were first allowed to live in Israel outside of Jerusalem’s Old City walls. A memorial torch-lighting ceremony will take place after the siren at the Western Wall in Jerusalem attended by President Reuven Rivlin and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot.

On Wednesday at 11 a.m. a two-minute siren, which marks the opening of the official memorial ceremonies and private remembrance gatherings at each cemetery where soldiers are buried, will sound.

At 1 p.m., a ceremony honoring the victims of terrorism will take place at the Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery, in the presence of Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Eisenkot.

As night falls sadness will be replaced with joy as Israel celebrates its 67th Independence Day, with the official ceremony at 8 p.m. at the national military cemetery on Mount Herzl, when the flag of Israel is returned to full staff.

In the past year 116 soldiers and civilians lost their lives: 67 soldiers and five civilians were killed during Operation Protective Edge last summer; two soldiers were killed in a Hezbollah missile attack in January. In addition, 35 IDF disabled veterans who died of their wounds have been recognized as IDF fallen soldiers this year.

Among the victims of terror this year are Eyal Yifrach, Naftali Frenkel and Gilad Shaar, three Israeli teens who last June were kidnapped and murdered by Hamas terrorists in the West Bank. Muhammad Abu Khdeir, a 16 year old Arab resident of the east Jerusalem suburb of Shuafat who was kidnapped and brutally murdered by a gang of three Jews in retaliation over the teens’ death, has been also officially recognized by the Defense Ministry as a victim of terror.

The Defense ministry said there is a total of 9,753 bereaved families, 4,958 widows and 2,049 orphans aged up to 30.”