Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a Memorial Day message on Monday, addressing the nation and bereaved families, emphasizing remembrance, sacrifice, and national resilience.
“Citizens of Israel, my brothers and sisters of the family of bereavement and heroism," Netanyahu began, noting that “Remembrance Day does not mean that every other day of the year is a day of forgetting."
“Indeed, there is no day without tears, no day without a sense of sorrow, no day without a longing that sears the heart," he said.
The Prime Minister stressed that while Israelis remember “every fallen soldier and victim whose life was cut short," Remembrance Day offers a broader, national perspective. “This collective memory touches the very foundations of our existence as a nation that is constantly struggling for its security," he stated.
Netanyahu highlighted the values embodied by the fallen, including “the heroism, the sacrifice, the love of the homeland, the mobilization for every mission, the unconditional dedication, and the deep bond between us that is stronger than any passing dispute."
“These are the milestones; these are the building blocks of Israel's strength, a strength that stunned the entire world during the War of Redemption. Our soldiers and commanders rose like lions, they roared like young lions," he said.
Referring to ongoing developments, Netanyahu added, “The campaign has not yet ended, but we have already pushed away an existential threat from ourselves. We have returned all of our hostages, struck our enemies hard, and made Israel a nation stronger than ever before."
Addressing bereaved families directly, he said, “Dear families, memory is woven from stories, songs, videos, stickers with reassuring quotes from the fallen themselves, and, of course, commemorative books, the numbers of which continue to grow."
Netanyahu referenced a new book dedicated to Chief Superintendent Arnon Zamora, a Police Anti-Terrorism officer who fell during ‘Operation Arnon’ to rescue four hostages.
He noted that the book describes Zamora’s impressions of the film “Troy," including lines that “were etched so deeply in the heart of Arnon the hero: ‘Will our actions echo across the centuries? Will strangers hear our names long after we are gone, and wonder who we were, how bravely we fought, how fiercely we loved?'"
Netanyahu continued: "The answers to these questions are clear regarding the fallen of Israel’s wars as well. We shall remember - and we shall not forget. We shall remember and continue to act in their name and for their sake to ensure the eternity of Israel.
May the memory of the fallen of Israel’s wars and the victims of acts of terrorism, may their memory be blessed forever."