Beginning with a one-minute siren throughout the country, Israelis on Tuesday evening entered a 24-hour period set aside to remember the 23,928 fallen Israeli soldiers and terror victims who have died since 1860. Some 112 people were added to the list for this year’s Memorial Day – 43 were soldiers and civilians, and 69 were veterans who died due to the wounds they sustained while serving in the military.
A national two-minute siren sounded on Wednesday morning at 11 am, kicking off memorial ceremonies at military cemeteries, as well as other public venues, throughout the country. The national memorial ceremony is held at this time in the military section of Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem. Attendance at such ceremonies will be limited to people with proof of vaccination or recovery from the coronavirus.
The families of fallen soldiers typically visit the graves of their loved ones on Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism. Families of the fallen will be allowed to visit without limitations due to the coronavirus. Last year, the country’s military cemeteries were locked on Memorial Day to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The list of fallen soldiers and terror victims dates from 1860 when the first Jewish neighborhood was established outside the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City.
On Wednesday night, the country moves from mourning to celebration with the start of Independence Day.