“For 25 years, this ceremony, here at Mount Herzl, has symbolized for us the moment in the year when the nation’s heart turns to the days of remembrance and independence. After the ceremony concludes, IDF soldiers will go to visit all the graves of our fallen who have fallen since the establishment of the state. They will place the national flag on each headstone, alongside a flower and a candle,” thus began the speech of the Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, at the ‘Salute to the Fallen’ ceremony.
“This is a sensitive historical memory project, which in my eyes, is a deep symbol of the State of Israel’s commitment to each of the fallen, to the memory of their legacy, to the imperative to be worthy of them.”
“The fallen, both men and women, went on their missions with their eyes set on the state, vowing to protect its citizens and even to sacrifice their lives for the defense of the homeland.”
“Every year anew, the nation bows its head and salutes them.”
“Here at Mount Herzl, the fallen are buried alongside the founders of the state and next to role models who dedicated their lives to building the state and its institutions. Both are role models, all great figures of our nation.”
For not in vain did my brother forge and build,
For soul and home, we have war!
Joara, Tel Amal, Kinneret and Hanita,
Give us flags, and we are the wall.
“Thus wrote Natan Alterman in the poem ‘Song of the Platoons’.”
“Captain Eitan Yitzhak Oster, of blessed memory, a fighter and commander in Egoz, buried here at Mount Herzl, knew how to sing all the verses of the ‘Song of the Platoons’ when he was only five years old.”
“A captivating child who grew up to be a revered instructor in Bnei Akiva and ‘worked to excel,’ as his parents recounted. Eitan fell in battle in Lebanon on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, 5784. Along with him, in this battle, fell: Sergeant Major Orr Menצור, a fighter from the Egoz unit, his liaison officer, Captain Itai Ariel Giath, an officer in Yahalom, and Sergeant Major Nazer Itkin, also a fighter from the Egoz unit. On their way to evacuate the wounded and the fallen in the incident, Captain Harel Ettinger and Sergeant Major Noam Barzilai, their comrades from the unit, also fell.”
“‘A true warrior fights not because he hates who stands before him, but because he loves what stands behind him’, Eitan used to tell his soldiers. This is the compass that guides all IDF service members – conscripts, career soldiers, and reservists. They have stood with boundless devotion for generations, and even more so since October 7th, with their love for an entire nation standing behind them beating in their hearts, for whose security we are all responsible and committed. A nation with its cohesion and resilience is the strength from which the IDF draws its determination and power.”
“Out of the inferno of October 7th, we launched an unprecedented multi-arena campaign in its scope and systematic approach to deeply harm Hamas’s capabilities in the Gaza Strip, until it was subdued in response to our demand for the release of all hostages. We currently control a forward defense strip within Gaza and continue to remain on guard against any scenario.”
“In the northern sector, we fought an intense battle against Hezbollah, a battle that continues tirelessly to this day. Above all these, we stood with determination against the Iranian regime. We went into the campaign with ‘all the might of a lion’ and deepened its achievements with ‘the roar of the lion’.”
“It was conducted while the IDF was in a state of absolute technological, intelligence, and operational superiority. But all of these are nothing compared to the IDF’s human advantage, as expressed in the fierce fighting of the warriors with courage, heroism, devotion, and sacrifice – in all arenas.”
“The IDF’s message to our enemies is clear – there is no point in the Middle East that Israel’s hand cannot reach.”
“We will continue to stand alert and determined against any threat and will safeguard the independence of the State of Israel for generations.”
“Dear families, in the face of deep loss, we are left speechless. The names and faces accompany us every day and in every mission; they are the purpose and the lighthouse. We will not cease to walk with you on the difficult journey of coping with bereavement, to support and embrace – in moments of crisis and longing, but also in moments of hope, building, and life.”
“We are also committed to the IDF’s missing in action who went on their mission and did not return; with the same determination, we continue to walk alongside the wounded, men and women, who are struggling with the physical and mental costs that the war leaves behind. We will continue to be by their side in the battle for rehabilitation, which requires infinite strength from them and their families.”
“In these moments between remembrance and revival, at a time when the State of Israel is fighting the most complex war in its history, our commitment to the memory of the fallen is sharpened and clear.”
“Every flag placed by Memorial Day eve on the graves of our fallen is a sign of the love of a nation that so longed for the safe return of its soldiers from battle, that carries the pain of loss and longing since they did not return.”
For we will not turn back, and there is no other way
No nation retreats from the trenches of its life.
A platoon marched, marched in a chain,
Your face, my homeland, goes with them into battle!
“May the memory of the fallen be bound in our hearts forever.”
Related Topics
