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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