Day of reflection as Israel remembers its fallen
Israel’s prime minister says he ‘carries the burden of grief’, as the country remembers its 23,447 fallen soldiers and victims of terror
Israel’s prime minister said he “carries the burden of grief”, as the country remembered its 23,447 fallen soldiers and victims of terror.
A two-minute siren wailed across Israel at 11am on Wednesday to mark the start of memorial ceremonies at military cemeteries for Yom Hazikaron (Day of Remembrance).
The day’s events will conclude with a candle-lighting ceremony at Mount Herzl, after which Israelis kick off their 68th Independence Day celebrations.
Remembering the IDF soldiers and civilian victims of terror, Benjamin Netanyahu, who lost his brother Yoni in combat, said during a Jerusalem ceremony: “I, like you, carry the burden of grief, as we fall to the abyss of sorrow, agonize over the pain of loss.
“These feelings won’t let go after you receive the news. When I received the news from my brother, and later delivered it to my parents, my whole world collapsed. The same happened to you.”
The memorial, held at the Yad Labanim, a centre that works to commemorate Israel’s fallen, is one of many across the country.
The day began with a one-minute siren and rendition of Hatikvah at the Western wall.
“For over 68 years we have been fighting the same war, the war for our independence,” Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said during memorial services at the Western Wall on Tuesday.
“It is a painful battle that all the time adds fresh scars to the body and spirit of this ancient and robust people.”
Netanyahu said: “We will not give up on the hopes of reconciliation with our enemies, but first we will reconcile among ourselves, and there is no deeper expression of our shared fate than when we remember, with love, and salute our heroic sons and daughters who fell so that we could live in our country.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
