Slowly and silently, a group of IDF soldiers moved from section to section of the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem on Wednesday, from the graves of the soldiers who fell in 1948 to the casualties from Operation Protective Edge in 2014, placing a small Israeli flag marked with a black ribbon at each and every headstone as part of the "Flag for the Fallen" project, which is being held for the 16th year. The graves are being decorated in preparation for the events of Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers of Israel and Victims of Terrorism, which begin on sundown Sunday. By the time Memorial Day begins, every grave of a fallen soldier in Israel's military cemeteries and in the military sections of civilian cemeteries will be marked with the special flag. Eizenkot told those gathered that "IDF soldiers and officers will continue to operate in the spirit of the legacy of the fallen -- a legacy of love for their country and a deep sense of devotion. That has always been the greatness of the people of Israel, the ability to rise above the pain and the regret, to remember the past and act for the sake of the future." "We will hold our heads high and vow to carry on the mission for which the best of our sons and daughters died -- ensuring our existence as a free people in their own country. May the memory of the fallen be a blessing," the chief of staff said. Addressing the bereaved families, Eizenkot said, "Dear families, a few days from now you will visit your loved ones' graves in pain, light a candle in their memory and remember in your hearts who they were and what they will never be. I know that words cannot fill the empty space in your hearts, so all that is left is to promise that we will continue to do everything possible to continue their path. Today, we will also remember IDF soldiers missing in action and the fallen soldiers whose burial places are unknown. We will not rest until we have brought everyone back within our borders." Also on Wednesday, some 6,000 youth from all over the country paid visits to the graves of 148 fallen soldiers who were Holocaust survivors and laid to rest in Israel's military cemeteries, who have no relatives to visit their final resting places on days of remembrance. A state ceremony honoring the Holocaust survivors who were killed in the War of Independence was held at Mount Herzl cemetery. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, met on Wednesday with a delegation of IDF widows and children left fatherless representing the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization. This is the fourth year members of the organization have met with the prime minister at his office in Jerusalem. During the meeting, each child present talked about his or her late father and showed something he had left behind. Illai Pereg, 15, whose father, Israel Police Superintendent Patrick Pereg, was killed in Operation Defensive Shield in 2002, showed Netanyahu his father's dog tag, which he always carries with him. Ziona Netanel, the widow of Capt. Yehonatan Netanel, who was killed in Operation Cast Lead in 2008, showed Netanyahu a prayer book, including the Prayer for the IDF written by Rabbi Shlomo Goren, that her late husband had carried with him into battle. Segev Ohayon, 13, who lost his father, Hanan Ohayon, a first lieutenant in the Israel Prison Service, in the 2010 Carmel forest fire, said, "Dad wasn't supposed to take part in the mission. He fought to go on it and for me, he's a hero." Raz Efrati, the son of Staff Sgt. Maj. Ehud Efrati, killed in the Gaza Strip, showed Netanyahu a family photo album. At a separate event, Netanyahu also took part in a ceremony at the Foreign Ministry in memory of Israelis killed while representing the country abroad.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, Israel Police Commissioner Insp. Gen. Roni Alsheikh, head of the Families and Commemoration Department of the Defense Ministry Aryeh Muallem, Yad Labanim Chairman Eli Ben Shem, and IDF Widows and Orphans Organization Chairwoman Tami Shelach were present at the ceremony.
Graves of Israel's fallen soldiers adorned with flags for Memorial Day
Youth visit graves of Holocaust survivors killed in the War of Independence • IDF Chief of Staff to bereaved families: We vow to carry on the mission for which our best sons and daughters died • Bereaved children tell PM about their fathers.
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