Jerusalem is staging a Sunday night Remembrance Day event of songs in memory of Israel’s 22,867 soldiers and 2,443 civilian terror victims killed since 1860, the year that the first Jewish settlers began building new Jewish neighborhoods outside of the walls of the city.
The opening ceremony wil be held at 4:30 p.m. (9:30 a.m. EDT) at Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem, followed by a siren at 8 p.m. (1 p.m. EDT) for one minute Sunday night. A two-minute siren will blare at 11 a.m. Monday morning.
Thirteen civilians were murdered by Arab terrorists in the past year, and 183 members of the security forces have been killed.
The Memorial Day for IDF soldiers concludes Monday evening, as celebrations begin for Israel’s 63rd Independence Day. IDF bases will be open to visitors during the day.
Thousands of people will visit graves of loved ones and friends at Israel’s 44 military cemeteries. Israel's flag, adorned with a black ribbon and memorial flame, is placed on each and every grave of those who fell in Israel's battles and are buried in military cemeteries throughout Israel.
After several artists pulled out of the Jerusalem event of songs and recital of stories of the fallen soldiers, the city of Jerusalem decided to refund money to 5,000 people who had bought tickets. An additional 1,000 tickets were distributed without charge to relatives of the fallen.
Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Terror Victims usually falls on the eve of the fourth day of Iyar, followed by Independence Day on the fifth of the Hebrew month, but the events were delayed by one day this year to prevent desecration of the Sabbath during preparations for Memorial Day.
The timing of Memorial Day immediately before Independence Day is meant to remind Israelis of the price which the country and its people have paid for the right to exist.