Israel was shrouded in national mourning on Monday, marking its Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism Remembrance Day amid a battle against the coronavirus outbreak, which saw the government impose stringent measures seeking to curb the virus by preventing gatherings and crowds that could set off new infections.
The outbreak has so far claimed the lives of 204 Israelis and infected over 15,500. While Israel began relaxing the restrictions placed on the economy and public life, a nationwide lockdown was imposed on Memorial Day, barring bereaved families from visiting military cemeteries or attending memorial ceremonies.
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Israel ordered military cemeteries to close and all state ceremonies are to be held without attendees. The ceremonies will be livestreamed on mainstream and social media, the government said.
The main ceremony at Jerusalem's Western Wall, typically attended by bereaved families, dignitaries and political and military brass, was held for the first time with no crowd on Monday evening.
Ushered by a one-minute nationwide siren, Israel's president and military chief of staff, among a small number of participants, wore face masks in line with health regulations, removing them briefly only as they spoke of the fallen and urged Israelis to honor their sacrifice by forging a better future.
A second, two-minute siren brought Israel to a standstill at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. As it faded, IAF jets flew over the National Hall for Israel's Fallen in Jerusalem, featuring a special, missing formation. The Memorial Day state ceremony commenced at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery immediately after the flyover.
Addressing the ceremony via video message, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel and its military "are an enduring testimony to the Jewish people's decision to take its fate and its defense into our own hands after thousands of years of feeling helpless."
Israel's "decisive policy toward those who would harm us prevents new victims. ... We will always be ready to thwart threats," he said.
Netanyahu vowed to "continue to work tirelessly to return our missing and our prisoners," specifically naming Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul and Lt. Hadar Goldin, who were killed in Gaza Strip in 2014 and Ethiopian Israeli Avera Mengistu and Bedouin Israeli Hisham al-Sayed, both suffering from mental health issues, crossed into Gaza willingly in 2014 and 2015 and were captured by Hamas.
The state ceremony honoring victims of terror will be held on Mount Herzl at 1 p.m.
Israel has fought six wars with neighboring Arab countries, battled two Palestinian uprisings, and endured dozens of deadly terrorist attacks since its founding in 1948. The country honors 23,816 fallen soldiers and over 3,100 people killed in acts of terror.
Also on Tuesday, the Jewish Agency had a torch lighting ceremony honoring lone soldiers killed in the line of duty.
Accompanying Jewish Agency Chairman Isaac Herzog was lone soldier and San Diego native Ori Hamo who was injured in February in a car-ramming attack in Jerusalem.
"Today, I bow my head in tribute to the Jews around the world who have demonstrated valor and dedication in their decision to enlist in the IDF as lone soldiers," Herzog said. "These new immigrants came here alone, without their fathers and mothers, and sacrificed their lives for our homeland."
"We also remember those Jews who perished in terror attacks around the world. Sadly, this year we saw a worrying increase in anti-Semitism. There are not ordinary times and the dark cloud of Jew-hatred seems to follow us everywhere."
Hamo said, "There were many before me who paid the heaviest price and it is in their memory we are here today. These are soldiers who never had the chance to live the rest of their lives, who did not create a home and family of their own and sacrificed everything for their homeland so Israel's children could flourish. On this day, we remember them and every other Jew whose life was abruptly and violently taken away."
At sundown Tuesday, the country will transition from solemn remembrance to joyous celebration, kicking off its 72nd Independence Day. Israelis, who typically enjoy beachside barbecues and gatherings with families to watch the annual airshow, will be under lockdown for the duration of the holiday as part of the efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
