Today was a national day of mourning in the wake of the Siber Air plane crash seven days ago in which 51 Israelis - mostly new immigrants from Russia - lost their lives. The Knesset convened for an official memorial session, at which Prime Minister Ariel Sharon paid tribute to the Russian Jewish community in Israel. \"From 1990 until the beginning of the current violence over a year ago,\" Sharon said, \"46 new immigrants [olim], including soldiers, were killed. Many olim serve as officers... Since the beginning of this year\'s fighting, 48 new immigrants have been killed, including 37 from Russia...\"
The Prime Minister, who lost a son and is twice a widower, continued, \"I know that there is no remedy for the loss of a son or daughter, mother or father, brother or sister. This is a pain that does not go away, that hits us again and again... and it is true both for those who are born here and live in their natural habitat, as well as for those who have recently arrived. True, pain and loss exist in all the sectors of the public, and all the fallen are equal; but today we chose to concentrate on the pain of the new immigrants from Russia, who have suffered so greatly in the past. There are those who ask where we will find the strength. The [answer is that the] Jewish nation has strength...\"
Opposition leader MK Yossi Sarid (Meretz) and Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg also spoke, as did MK Victor Breilovsky, himself a new immigrant from Russia, who said, \"It is very important that on this day, the olim not feel alone, not have to face this tragedy alone. They must feel that they are an intrinsic part of Am Yisrael, that everyone... is doing everything they can to ease their sorrow.\" President Moshe Katzav, Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, and Russia\'s Ambassador to Israel attended the session.
Seven victims whose bodies were recovered and identified were buried today, while seven others will be buried in Russia, at the request of their families. The other families began sitting the traditional seven-day shiva mourning period, according to the Chief Rabbi\'s ruling, when officials gave up all hope of finding additional bodies.
The Prime Minister, who lost a son and is twice a widower, continued, \"I know that there is no remedy for the loss of a son or daughter, mother or father, brother or sister. This is a pain that does not go away, that hits us again and again... and it is true both for those who are born here and live in their natural habitat, as well as for those who have recently arrived. True, pain and loss exist in all the sectors of the public, and all the fallen are equal; but today we chose to concentrate on the pain of the new immigrants from Russia, who have suffered so greatly in the past. There are those who ask where we will find the strength. The [answer is that the] Jewish nation has strength...\"
Opposition leader MK Yossi Sarid (Meretz) and Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg also spoke, as did MK Victor Breilovsky, himself a new immigrant from Russia, who said, \"It is very important that on this day, the olim not feel alone, not have to face this tragedy alone. They must feel that they are an intrinsic part of Am Yisrael, that everyone... is doing everything they can to ease their sorrow.\" President Moshe Katzav, Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, and Russia\'s Ambassador to Israel attended the session.
Seven victims whose bodies were recovered and identified were buried today, while seven others will be buried in Russia, at the request of their families. The other families began sitting the traditional seven-day shiva mourning period, according to the Chief Rabbi\'s ruling, when officials gave up all hope of finding additional bodies.