Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke today (Tuesday) at the National Memorial Day ceremony for the fallen of Israel's wars of 1945 on Mount Herzl.
"The citizens of Israel, and above all my brothers and sisters of the bereaved family. On this sacred mountain, Mount Herzl, generations of heroes and heroines lie buried. The wound is deeper than time. Time passes, but the pain never goes away.".
Netanyahu shared his personal pain over the fall of his brother Yoni 50 years ago, and told of the moment he received the news while he was in the United States.
""My brother Yoni, who lies here, fell 50 years ago. I was an Israeli student in the United States at the time. My brother Ido called me and told me that our eldest brother had fallen in battle. My world was shattered. I traveled 7 hours on a journey of agony to Cornell University, where my father taught. The moment I broke the bitter news of Yoni's fall to my parents was the hardest moment of my life. 50 years have passed since then and there is not a day that I don't think about you, Yoni." He added and quoted: "I feel sorry for you, my brother Jonathan, I am very happy.".
He later connected the families' pain with the sense of heroism, saying that alongside the loss, it is about the "heroic family." According to him, the family members emphasize that the memory is not only about the death of their loved ones, but also about their lives and the values for which they worked.
Referring to the security campaign, Netanyahu said that in the 'War of Rebirth' the essence is protecting national existence and ensuring the future of the state. "The essence is clearer than ever: to protect national existence, to protect the home, the people and the state. In every generation, people rise up against us to destroy us - even in this generation.".
He emphasized: "In every generation, people rise up against us to destroy us, even in this generation. The ayatollah regime in Iran planned another Holocaust. If we had not acted with determination and courage, the names of the death sites of Natanz, Fordo, and Isfahan could have joined Auschwitz, Majdanek, and Treblinka. But this did not happen, because together with the US, we crushed the Iranian regime's destruction machine ahead of time. We removed an immediate existential threat from us. This is the essence of the campaign - to ensure that the lifeline of the people of Israel is not cut.
""In the name of this essence, Moshe Yitzhak Katz, a paratrooper fighter, came from the United States as a lone soldier. He fell in battle in southern Lebanon during the Roar of Hari. In the name of this essence, Golani fighter Tuval Lipshitz from Beit Shean insisted on fighting with his comrades against Hezbollah. In the name of this essence, Druze engineer fighter Maher Khattar from Majdal Shams went into battle. He was influenced by Hezbollah's criminal attack on Majdal Shams two years ago, an attack in which 12 children were murdered. He fell last month in Lebanon alongside his friend Or Damri. Jews and Druze shoulder to shoulder on an important mission. A mission in which Christians, Bedouins, Circassians, Muslims and members of other groups also share.".
Netanyahu also referred to the events of October 7, when "from the abyss of October 7 we burst into space," while praising the young generation, which he said had emerged in all its glory. "Our young generation, which did not know what dreams and longings for the Promised Land were - this generation in particular has emerged in all its glory.".
He told of a meeting with IDF widows and orphans, where stories of pain were heard alongside expressions of pride in the soldiers.
He then mentioned the story of Major David Meir and the words of his wife Anat, who said, "Not in vain, my brother, did you have measles," and emphasized that even out of loss, national significance is built. He added a reference to the wounded, including Ari Spitz, and noted their determination and the state's commitment to their rehabilitation.
Netanyahu concluded his remarks by saying that "from the abyss at the top of the road to the summit - this is the essence of the wonderful people of Israel. May the memory of the fallen soldiers of Israel be blessed and cherished in our hearts forever.".
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