ISRAEL MEMORIAL DAY 2014/5774

Israel Remembers Her Fallen: ‘Without Heroes, We Wouldn’t Be Here” Israel is commemorating Memorial Day tonight. Netanyahu: “Without their sacrifices, we wouldn’t be here.” IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz: “In this painful position, we remember those that gave to Israel all that they could give.” Today, Israel remembers her fallen soldiers and victims of Palestinian terrorism in a state ceremony held in Jerusalem. Speakers include Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, and the chief rabbis of Israel. “It is difficult if not impossible to show those that haven’t experienced it the size of the grief that befell us, the intensity of the shock that grasps us, and the sense of loss that fills us,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated at the ceremony. “There, we sat at the graves of our loved ones, wept, and remembered our loved ones that fell for the sake of Zion.” “On this day, the entire people relates to the heroes of the nation. They come from all parts of the nation and from all parts of society. The simple truth that is the most concise is this: we would not be here if it were not for their sacrifice,” Netanyahu continued. “Even if it means unparalleled pain, a great miracle happened here. Israel returned to her country, to her home, established a state and did wonders, but at this moment we should not forget that it is a privilege to be here.” “This year, we spoke a lot about the equal burden, but we haven’t forgotten that equality isn’t here. It isn’t and it won’t be,” Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein stated. “There is no equality between the pain of a mother and the longing of a father. There is no equality between the lamenting heart of a beloved spouse and the tears of a child. Each one that is in pain has his own way.” “There is no equality between missing persons, the ones whose issue is their body was wounded during a war, and those whose souls suffer the scars of terrorism. There is no equal burden on pain and there is no equal burden on devoted souls. Love of the country is not a burden. Devotion for this country is not a burden. Protecting the home front are fundamental values in whose name our soldiers operate.” IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz added: “In this painful position, we remember those that gave to Israel all that they could give. Israel’s fallen soldiers and those murdered in hostile activities accompany us in their characters and in their absence of every step, in every one of the crossroads life throws at us.”