April 11, 2021

Ahead of Memorial Day for Israel’s fallen soldiers: A commemoration ceremony and flag-laying on graves at Mount Herzl for those who fell in the service of

the nation

The Chief of the General Staff: "Their death reminds us of our mission to defend".

Today (Sunday), the "Flag for the Fallen" ceremony, a joint effort of the IDF and the Ministry of Defense, in which the Israeli flag is placed on the graves of those fallen during their service, took place at the National Hall For Israel's Fallen, on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.

The purpose of the "Flag for the Fallen" project, which has taken place annually for the past 20 years, is to honor the fallen who have sacrificed their lives for the protection and security of the State of Israel.

From the end of the ceremony on Mount Herzl until the beginning of Memorial Day, a national flag, a flower and a memorial candle will be placed on the grave of each of the fallen in cemeteries and military graveyards.

The event was held today in the presence of the Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi; the Commissioner of the Israel Police, Superintendent Kobi Shabtai; the Head of the Mossad, Mr. Yossi Cohen; the Head of the ISA, Mr. Nadav Argaman; Commissioner of the Prison Service, Maj. Gen. Katy Perry; Head of the Personnel Directorate, Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asur; Head of the Casualty Array, Col. Idit Solomon; Deputy Director General and Head of the Memorial Department at the Defense Ministry, Mr. Aryeh Mualem; Chairman of the Yad Lebanim organization, Mr. Eli Ben-Shem; and Chairwoman of the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization, Mrs. Tami Shelach.

The Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi: "The memory of the fallen is part of the Israeli experience - all year round, but especially this time of year. Secular and religious, men and women, Jews, Christians, Druze and Muslims bound together in a partnership of fate and a partnership of destiny. And of course, we, IDF soldiers and commanders, also remember their names - their deaths again remind us of our mission to defend that for which they fell, and at the same time of our duty to change, to stay relevant, and to adapt ourselves to the current and future battlefield. Dear families, we are with you all the way, all year round, because the sacrifice and the heavy price were paid for something that is greater than all of us: protection and ensuring the security of the State of Israel. And we have another strong and deep commitment, to the families of the captives and those MIA: we have sent your loved ones on a mission from which they have not yet returned, and we pledge to continue to make every effort to get them back to you and to their country."

Deputy Director General and Head of the Memorial Department at the Defense Ministry, Mr. Aryeh Mualem: "Today we take the initiative to lay the flag upon the graves of twenty-three thousand, nine hundred and twenty-eight (23,928) fallen servants of the nation, who gave their souls to the Almighty for the establishment of a home in our country-- this is a valuable, important and dignified act in the State of Israel that conveys the message that we strive to act with respect, remembrance, unity, uniformity and equality for any and every burial place."