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cation, some by sword and
some by beast. Some at the
doorstep of their home, and
some in armored personnel
carriers, some in the warmth
of their bed and some in the
streets, some at a guard post
and some on the battlefield,
some at a bus stop and some
at a police station. Some in a
car and some in an armored
vehicle, some on the kibbutz
pathways, some in the pasture
and some at a party, some in
the shopping mall and some
by missiles and rockets, some
in tunnels and some in hiding.
Forever, forever we remember
them.
“Generations dreamed of
reaching Jerusalem; we have
the honor of defending it,”
said Bella Levin a year ago —
a combatant from the Border
Police and a Lone Soldier. On
that black Saturday morning,
Bella participated in defend-
ing Kibbutz Sa’ad. A month
later, she fell when fighting
a terrorist in the Old City of
Jerusalem.
The police section of the
Mount Herzl cemetery where
Bella is buried is a section
of courage, dedication and
heroism — the essence of the
Israeli police force, both men
and women. I see Bella’s grave
and remember all those brave
women, soldiers and police
officers, observers, fighters
and commanders, the heroines
of Israel, who sacrificed them-
selves, stood guard, saved lives
and paid with their lives.
This grief is a covenant
— an Israeli covenant. A cov-
enant that transcends faiths
and religions, perceptions
and ideologies. I cry out here
the cry of the Druze and
Bedouin bereaved families,
who demanded from me and
demand from all of us to rec-
ognize the right and the priv-
ilege to be part of the Israeli
story, equal among equals, in
the fullest sense of the word.
AN UNFILLABLE VOID
Every name is a shattered
world. Every name is a sacri-
fice. A void that will never be
filled.
Citizens of Israel, at this
sacred moment, I remind
us and the entire world: We
never wanted or chose this
terrible war. Neither this one
nor its predecessors. All we
wanted was to return to Zion
from which we were forcibly
expelled and to renew our
freedom there — in a Jewish
and democratic state.
To build a life here. A
future. A hope. We always
dreamed of peace and good
neighborliness with all the
peoples and countries in the
region, and no less than that
forever. But as long as our
enemies seek to destroy us, we
will not lay down our sword.
The past few months have
been very painful. But during
them, we learned about the
strength of a wonderful and
awe-inspiring people, who
rose from the terrible destruc-
tion and fought as lions. We
discovered fighters — of the
IDF and the security forces,
aged 18 to 96; in all branches,
on all fronts — in the south,
in the north, in Judea and
Samaria, and in every place.
They, who endanger them-
selves for us, ask simply at all
times, that we remember that
we are one people. That we be
worthy. Only be worthy.
This tear in the fabric, the
bleeding rend that we all feel
in our hearts this year, can-
not remain meaningless. The
bereaved families tell me this
again and again. The tear in
the heart of the people must
heal the tear in the nation.
This rend is also a call and
a cry. A call to action, a call to
rise up. Rise up as one people.
From here, I pray for the
swift and full recovery of all
the wounded, in body and
soul. We must support them
and their families in the dif-
ficult and painful battles for
rehabilitation, and in treating
their wounds — physical and
psychological.
I thank them and their fam-
ilies, who sacrifice so much
for the sake of the country.
The right to defend the secu-
rity of Israel, the right to serve
in the IDF, is a tremendous
right. It is not a privilege. It
is a right. A tremendous one.
A sacred right. May the Lord
keep them from harm now
and forever.
Bereaved families, beloved
and dear. On behalf of the
entire people, I am grateful to
you. I bow my head in the face
of your loss and your courage,
and pray that days of light and
grace, of comfort and even joy,
will come upon you. We draw
so much faith and hope from
you.
People of Israel, my sisters
and brothers. Even today, deep
within the national mourning,
I know, I believe with all my
heart: A new dawn will rise
over all of Israel. By their merit,
for their sake, and for ours.
May the memory of the fall-
en of the Israel Defense Forces
and victims of enemy hostility
against us be preserved in the
heart of our nation for genera-
tions to come.
Isaac Herzog is the president of Israel.
PURELY COMMENTARY
continued from page 9
President Isaac Herzog
speaks at the Western
Wall on Memorial Day
for the Fallen of Israel’s
Wars and Victims of
Terrorism, May 12, 2024.
MA’AYAN TOAF/GPO/JNS