A political firestorm has ignited in Israel after the mother of the fallen Christian soldier, Staff Sergeant David Bogdanovsky, discovered his grave had been covered with a black cloth, obscuring a cross on the tombstone, during a funeral for a Jewish soldier who was being buried beside him. The incident has drawn sharp rebuke from politicians and advocacy groups, who condemned it as discrimination against non-Jewish soldiers serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Knesset member Meir Cohen called on Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and the Ministry of Defense to address this issue: "This black cloth is a dark stain on Israeli society. IDF soldiers of all faiths fight side by side and, tragically, also fall together. I urge you to take immediate action, starting with a public apology and reaching out to the bereaved family. It is imperative that we take decisive steps to safeguard the honor of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and protect the dignity of their families. I demand to know if the covering of David's grave was sanctioned and whether similar incidents have occurred with other fallen soldiers' graves."
The Christian Voice Association, an organization supporting Christian soldiers, has reached out to Haifa's mayor, advocating for the establishment of a memorial site dedicated to fallen soldiers from the Christian community. The association's leadership stated, "This incident, which reeks of racism and exclusion towards the Christian family and community, is utterly unacceptable and contradicts the values upheld by the IDF, the State of Israel, and Israeli society at large. We expect state institutions, particularly public officials in Haifa Municipality and the defense establishment, to implement all necessary measures to prevent such occurrences in the future and to unequivocally condemn racism and discrimination in any form. As an organization committed to fostering unity and equality between the Christian community and all Israeli citizens, we insist on a thorough investigation of this incident, full accountability, and a public apology to both the family and the entire Christian community."
The distraught mother of the fallen soldier, Julia, shared an emotional post on Facebook: "This is a message of sorrow, resentment, and profound disappointment. Today, as I do every day, I visited Davidushka to light a candle and spend time with him. I was horrified to find they had placed a black cloth over my David, my hero, a hero of the State of Israel, concealing his tombstone and the cross. Words fail to express the humiliation I experienced. I always believed that my David, who sacrificed his life for this country, who loved it with every fiber of his being, who enlisted to protect me, his family, and all of us, was no different from other young men and certainly not a second-class citizen."
She continued: "I stood there, weeping. I didn't remove that black cloth out of respect for other parents' feelings, understanding the pain that resides in the hearts of every mother, father, sister, and brother. I had no desire to turn the ceremony into a battleground. I don't interfere with the tombstones of other children, so who granted you the right to touch my precious son? I am devastated, I am in tears, I am crying out in anguish. This is not the Jewish people I came to love."
The Peled family, who held a memorial service nearby for Staff Sergeant Amit Peled, a soldier in the Egoz Unit who fell in battle on Black Saturday, clarified their position: "We were deeply shocked to learn about this incident through the media. We had no knowledge of the grave covering. We hold the utmost respect and honor for the memory of Staff Sergeant David Bogdanovsky, who rests beside our son, and we share in the grief of his family and all families who have lost loved ones in defense of our country, regardless of their faith or community. Our hearts ache for the additional sorrow and pain inflicted upon his family."
