Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu vowed during Memorial Day ceremonies on Tuesday that the State of Israel would never compromise on security.
Speaking at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery, Netanyahu told the participants that Israel would continue to reach out for peace, but not at the cost of those at home.
“Today I say to all of you, bereaved families and citizens of Israel, we will never abandon our fate again,” he promised.
“We will never lose the strength to defend ourselves. Our hands are stretched out for peace, but our enemies should make no mistake: We will never compromise on our security.”
The ceremony began after a two-minute siren at 11:00 a.m. stopped cars and buses, and brought young and old to their feet across the nation. The siren, which sounded in every community, initiated official memorial ceremonies at 43 military cemeteries around the country.
There were also ceremonies for foreign volunteers who fought and died during the War of Independence, and for Victims of Terror.
The prime minister’s promise comes at a time when security officials are noting an upswing in terror attacks on Israeli travelers and Jewish communities throughout Judea and Samaria.
A total of 22,570 men and women have died defending the Land of Israel since 1860, the year that the first Jewish settlers left the secure walls of Jerusalem to build new Jewish neighborhoods. Ten of those soldiers have been killed since the last Memorial Day.
During the same period, 17 civilians became victims of terrorist attacks. A total of 1,723 people have been murdered by Arab terrorists since the Jewish State was re-established in 1948.