Friends

Friends, tonight in Israel begins Yom ha-Zikaron. This is the Memorial Day of killed in wars of Israeli and victims of terror. On this day, we commemorate IDF military, police, security officers, soldiers of underground organizations who gave their lives for the country's independence and peace. As well as those, who was killed in terrorist attacks.

On this day on 4th Iyar, mourning events begins in the evening when comes a new day. The date was chosen not accidently. On the 4th Iyar 5708 by the Jewish calendar (13 May 1948) advocates of province Gush Etsion were brutally killed and never found that only 10 hours after will be declared the independence of the State of Israel.

At the 20:00 Israel will hear a siren. Under its sound in silent mourning everyone will freeze, all cars will stop and people will stand in silence or pray in memory of their brave countrymen.

The official ceremony will be held at the Western Wall to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Then Israel will put down the flag as a sign of mourning.

A second siren will sound at 11 am. It lasts two minutes and again the Israelis are silently and think about those who they lost and who they are proud of. Imagine if people go by train and cannot hear the sound of sirens, at the appropriate time the driver stops it, and all the people to rise from their seats and pay homage to the victims.

After morning sirens begin funeral arrangements, people go to the cemeteries.

Most importantly - Israel has no "nameless" victims. The state not only knows how many people died, but tries to do everything to remember their names. I think this is extremely important. This people are not another "+1" in the statistics of losses, they are lifes, families, histories. They have to live in our memory. I think that Ukrainian should do the same, according to the situation in the Donbass.

The next day, Israel will celebrate Independence Day and the Day of Commemoration of the victims of wars and Israeli victims of terror in its threshold has deep symbolism. So, Israel will never forget what price the country gave for its independence. Young brings military oath to defend the homeland on the graves of those who gave their lives for it. This is a very strong and important tradition that suggests that brave Israelis will never be forgotten.

Eternal honor.