8 | MAY 23 • 2024 
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PURELY COMMENTARY

President of Israel’s address
Herzog: ‘A Yom HaZikaron Like No Other’

Editor’s note: Following are 
excerpts from President Isaac 
Herzog speech on the evening 
of May 12 at the Western Wall 
on the Memorial Day for the 
Fallen of Israel’s Wars and 
Victims of Terrorism. The com-
plete text can be read via JNS 
at tinyurl.com/56b5mfsw.
E

very year, after the 
sounding of the shofar, 
there reigns here in the 
expanse of the Western Wall 
Plaza a sacred, special silence, 
preserved only 
for this moment 
of the year. But 
tonight, we 
have no peace, 
and there is no 
silence. Because 
this year is not 
like any other 
year.
This year, in addition to 
the mourning siren that com-
memorates our fallen since 
the beginning of our struggle, 
a new, prolonged, continu-
ous siren has been added. A 
siren that began at 6:29 in the 
morning of the terrible nation-
al disaster on Oct. 7, at the 
height of the joyous holiday 
of Simchat Torah. And it has 
continued alongside us ever 
since. A cry, sharp, piercing. 
The cry of a nation, the cry of 
national mourning. “My God, 
my God, my soul laments, cry 
out Daughter of Israel, eulo-
gize and weep bitterly. Israel 
has been devoured by fire.”
I stand here, next to the 
remnants of our Temple, in 
torn garments. This tearing — 
a symbol of Jewish mourning, 
it is a symbol of the mourning 
and sorrow of an entire peo-
ple in this year — a year of 

national mourning. A symbol 
of a blood-drenched rend in 
the heart of the people. A tear 
in the heart of the State of 
Israel — shattered, bereaved, 
crying bitter tears, refusing 
to be comforted for its sons 
and daughters — soldiers and 
civilians.
 Our voices do not refrain 
from weeping, and our eyes 
from shedding tears. A great 
tragedy has befallen us.
I turn from here, in this 
holy moment, to our brothers 
and sisters held hostage and 
to their families: Throughout 
these national days, we never 
forget that there is no greater 
commandment than redeem-
ing captives. The entire nation 
is with you. We must summon 
courage and choose life. Not to 
rest and not to be quiet until 
they all return home.
Beloved and dear families, 
those wounded in Israel’s 

battles against its enemies, 
the defense minister, the chief 
of IDF staff and the heads of 
the security forces, ministers 
and Knesset members, former 
president of Israel, rabbis, 
mayor of Jerusalem, ambassa-
dors and diplomats, heads of 
the representative organiza-
tions of the bereaved families, 
citizens of Israel: 
A year ago, I spoke here 
about Section 9 of Area A in 
the Mount Herzl National 
Cemetery — the section 
of fallen from the War of 
Independence. Since then, 
between last Memorial Day 
and this Memorial Day, the 
graves on the mountain have 
increased — 130 new graves; 
and hundreds more graves 
have been added throughout 
the country — changing its 
face. Our face. The pain strikes 
with force. Just a few hours 
ago, we brought five of our 

beloved to their eternal rest. 
“From Dan to Beersheva, from 
Gilgal to the sea, no spot of 
our land has been atoned for 
without blood.”
A few nights ago, I ascended 
once again to Mount Herzl. I 
found myself walking among 
the graves, in grateful recog-
nition and sacred awe. I felt 
with unusual intensity the 
intergenerational connection 
among the resting places. A 
connection of longing and 
heroism, of pain and resil-
ience. A connection of a fight-
ing spirit — “from generation 
to generation.”
A connection between the 
fallen of the Yom Kippur War, 
in Lebanon and Metula, on 
Ammunition Hill, in Sinai 
and the Golan Heights, in 
Beaufort, in Bint Jbeil, in the 
many battlefields, in intelli-
gence and combat operations, 
and in the victims of terror 
since the dawn of Zionism, 
and from there to the new and 
numerous graves on Mount 
Herzl — which have been 
added to and unfortunately 
continue to be added to, in 
sections, yes, many sections — 
of this heavy, heavy campaign.
Believe me, my sisters and 
brothers, I would — with all 
my heart — like to tell about 
each and every one of our 
fallen loved ones — from all of 
Israel’s wars, from all the secu-
rity forces, from all over the 
country. About their goodness, 
their beauty, their bravery. But 
the fracture is so great, and 
our losses are too many, too 
many indeed.
And so, I stand here, in my 
mind’s eye what a grieving 
father said to me a few weeks 
ago: “I hear they’re talking 

President 
Isaac Herzog
Bereaved families mark Memorial Day at the graves of fallen Israeli 
soldiers at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, May 13, 2022. 

CHAIM GOLDBERG/FLASH90/JNS

