The annual commemoration ceremony for the memory of the 744 fallen members of the Israeli intelligence community was held yesterday (Tuesday) at Herzog Camp. The ceremony was led by the Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and attended by the head of the Shin Bet, David Zini, the head of Military Intelligence, Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder, and the Deputy Director of the Mossad, ‘A’.
During the ceremony, a wreath was laid by the “Yad LaBanim” organization, represented by its chairman, Mr. Eli Tohar, along with Mali and Avi Attias, parents of Sergeant Major (res.) Shai Shimon Attias, may he rest in peace. On behalf of the organization of widows and orphans of the IDF and security forces, a wreath was laid by the organization’s representative, Mrs. Anat Adri, widow of Lt. Col. Yehuda Adri, may he rest in peace.
The address on behalf of the bereaved families was delivered by Vered Zisser, mother of Major (res.) Eli Zisser, may he rest in peace, a fighter and commander in Sayeret Matkal who fell on October 7, 2023, in the battle at Kibbutz Kfar Aza.
Also present at the ceremony were the Head of Human Resources and the Head of the Casualties Division, Brig. Gen. Edna Ilia, the Head of the Casualties Department, Col. Meital Smadja-Cohen, the Deputy Director-General and Head of the Families, Commemoration, and Heritage Division at the Ministry of Defense, Aryeh Moalem, former heads of Military Intelligence, and other senior officials.
“My name is Vered, and I am the mother of Eli Zisser, a team commander in Sayeret Matkal, who was killed on October 7th in Kfar Aza at the age of twenty-seven,” said Vered Zisser, mother of Major (res.) Eli Zisser, may he rest in peace, representing the bereaved families. “On Saturday, Simchat Torah, Eli was called to his unit in the early morning hours. Along with eight other fighters, they descended to Kfar Aza and were among the first military forces to enter the kibbutz. They did not know that at that very moment, approximately 250 terrorists were present in the kibbutz, hiding in houses, safe rooms, and on rooftops.”
“They only knew there was a major ‘terrorist incident’ in the kibbutz and that there were people who needed to be saved,” she shared. “Before they got out of the vehicle, Eli addressed his soldiers and told them, ‘It’s going to be tough. But this is our mission. This is what we trained and prepared for all these years, and we will succeed.’ The battle was short. Around 10:30 AM, Eli was hit and killed along with three of his unit comrades: Major (res.) Tal Cohen, Captain Amir Tzur, and Captain Hadar Kameh – a friend and officer in Zisser’s team. They fell side by side, and that is how they were found.”
“Since the last ceremony, 25 families have been added to the 719 bereaved families of the intelligence community,” she revealed. “Each and every one of our loved ones, who are no longer with us, was a whole world of loves and disappointments, failures and successes, values and beliefs. We are left, family and friends, with the daily challenge of living in the shadow of their memory. And this challenge cannot be overcome unless we live our lives as better people. For ourselves and for others. Perhaps then we will succeed in establishing a better future, both on a personal and national level. Perhaps then we will merit seeing the return of our soldiers home from all fronts, healthy and whole, the return of all captives and missing persons, and the recovery of the wounded.”
“I wish for all those present here to find the right way to rise from this great loss. May the necessary peace of mind be found for this new life, and may we know better days than these.”
“Sometimes it seems that the most daring stories of heroism are written in letters of silence,” stated the Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir. “They are woven in the darkness of night, deep within enemy territory, with self-sacrifice and a burning mission. This shadow warfare is what allows the citizens of Israel to live in the light – it is what fortifies our security.”
“To see the hidden, to warn of impending danger, and to expose the enemy’s intentions; to operate on the front lines and in depth, on the battlefield and in clandestine arenas, and to provide the State of Israel with the capability to thwart threats and defeat those who seek our harm,” he declared. “Time and again, the knowledge accumulated over years, the meticulously researched targets, and the capabilities built with great effort have transformed into historic operations that have changed the face of the Middle East.”
“October 7th will be remembered as the greatest failure in the history of the IDF and the intelligence community. We were required to look honestly at the failure, to debrief ourselves thoroughly, to learn, and to correct,” he stated. “From the wreckage, Military Intelligence has fundamentally changed: doctrines have been re-examined, assumptions have been challenged, collection, research, and warning processes have been adapted to the new reality, and in some areas, alongside innovation, we have built upon the foundations. All of this is based on the central mission – to warn of war or developments that could endanger the State of Israel and its citizens. Since then, we have risen from the terrible devastation and waged a fierce war on all fronts.”
“Even at this moment, intelligence personnel are standing guard. The IDF is monitoring developments – in Iran and other arenas, alert and ready to act and strike forcefully at any enemy that attempts to harm Israeli citizens.”
“Dear families, your loved ones chose a service whose depth, the price of its secrecy, and the magnitude of its demands, few can comprehend. But know this: even if their actions remain hidden, the mark they left does not need words to be heard. It is in the breath of children in their beds, in the citizens walking safely in the streets, in this country that continues to live, breathe, and thrive thanks to them.”
“The IDF is with you – in the quiet mornings, in the long nights, today, tomorrow, and every day of the year,” he called out. “You will forever be an integral part of our family. May the memory of the fallen of the intelligence community be blessed and cherished in the heart of the nation for generations to come.”
