Bereaved families marked the 38th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War in military cemeteries across Israel Sunday. But state officials, who are traditionally the main speakers at the events, were conspicuously absent from key venues. Several state ceremonies were held on Sunday to mark the 38th anniversary of the war, the second deadliest in Israeli history. On Oct. 6, 1973, Syria and Egypt launched a surprise attack aimed at forcing Israel to relinquish territory it had conquered six years earlier during the Six Day War. Israel eventually managed to turn the tables on both countries and was several dozen miles away from Cairo and Damascus when a cease-fire was declared. More than 2,500 Israeli soldiers lost their lives during the fighting. About 780 of the war's dead are buried at Tel Aviv's Kiryat Shaul cemetery. Some 4,000 bereaved family members and friends gathered on Sunday for a memorial service, sponsored by Yad Labanim, a government organization tasked with honoring the memory of those killed in action. Similar events were held at other cemeteries throughout the country. Get the Israel Hayom newsletter sent to your mailbox! None of the Cabinet ministers or Knesset members invited to attend the ceremony showed up. Some officials claimed they were overwhelmed by the vote on the controversial Trajtenberg report that was scheduled for Sunday. The report contains contentious provisions that call for substantial budgetary reforms and cuts in several government ministries. According the Yad Labanim's website, Vice Prime Minister and Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe (Bogey) Ya'alon (Likud) was to be the government's official representative at the event. Minister without portfolio Yossi Peled (Likud) was reportedly told to replace Ya'alon because the Cabinet session on the report had not ended on time, but he also failed to show. Peled said on Sunday that he had agreed to replace Ya'alon on condition that the Cabinet discussion ended by 3 p.m. and that he had informed Ya'alon that he would not be able to attend once it became clear that the discussions were not going to end on time. Peled's office released a statement on Sunday saying, "The minister will continue to be at the side of the bereaved families like he has always done. They are very important for him. Minister Peled regrets the fact that Ya'alon chose not to attend." A statement released by Ya'alon's office rejected Peled's account, saying "Immediately upon being approached by Yad Labanim, Minister Ya'alon agreed to attend the ceremony. Upon realizing that he would have to attend a Cabinet session that would overlap with the ceremony, he asked Minister Peled to fill in for him and he consented. But because of a misunderstanding between the two, neither one of them could attend. The minister sincerely regrets the way things turned out." The statement also made reference to the fact that Ya'alon attends many memorial services each year, even as recently as last Thursday, when he attended the Paratroopers Brigade memorial service. It added that he will continue with this routine. However, several government ministers did attend the main ceremony for the fallen of the Yom Kippur War, which was held at the national cemetery on Mount Herzl, as well as Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz and head of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Personnel Directorate Maj. Gen. Orna Barbivay. When no government speakers arrived at the Tel Aviv service, bereaved family members became outraged and threatened to call off the ceremony. Eventually Tel Aviv's Chief Rabbi and former Ashkenzai Chief Rabbi, Yisrael Meir Lau, was asked to fill in and the ceremony began, albeit thirty minutes late. No state representative attended the memorial service held in Haifa either. The Prime Minister's Office released a statement Sunday, saying, "The government of Israel values every ceremony for those killed while on duty, whether at war, in an operation or in a terrorist attack. The government sends an official representative of the state only to the main memorial service that is held on Israel's Memorial Day for Israel's Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism In a statement released by the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, it expressed "regret" for the "honest mistake" that resulted in no official IDF representative being present at the ceremony in Kiryat Shaul. "A senior officer who happened to be present at the ceremony laid a wreath," the statement read.
