Israel remembers its 23,741 fallen soldiers in ceremonies tonight

Israel’s Memorial Day will be marked with a series of solemn ceremonies starting at sundown on Tuesday.

By David Isaac, World Israel News

Israel’s Memorial Day will be marked with a series of solemn ceremonies starting at sundown on Tuesday. The day of remembrance officially begins at 8:00 p.m. when a one-minute siren will sound throughout the country.

Over the next 24 hours, Israel will remember its 23,741 fallen soldiers, (counting from 1860 when the Zionist enterprise is considered to have begun in the Land of Israel, until today).

Israel will also remember the 3,150 civilians who were killed in hostilities since the state’s establishment. Four of those civilians died during the last round of fighting when Hamas bombarded Israel with 700 rockets. The number also includes 120 foreign citizens who were killed in attacks and 100 Israelis who were murdered while abroad.

After the 8:00 p.m. siren, the main ceremony will be held at the Western Wall in Jerusalem to open Memorial Day. At 8:30 p.m., a “Singing in the Square” ceremony will take place in Tel Aviv followed by a 9:15 p.m. event in the Knesset which the prime minister will attend.

On Wednesday, at 11:00 a.m., a two-minute siren will sound for which Israelis stand in silence, followed by the main memorial service for Israel’s Fallen Soldiers on Mount Herzl. The president, prime minister and chief of staff will be in attendance.

In preparation for Memorial Day, flags were placed at gravestones of fallen soldiers on Monday.

IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi sent a letter on Tuesday to the Army, saying: “The sound of the siren cuts across the land, through the commotion of the day, calling for peace and unity.”

“Wherever that sound reaches, there is a grave, and everywhere a battle that took place which exacted a heavy price. The sound represents the voice of those who died, and whose image and features appear before our eyes.”