Israel Observes Memorial Day Amidst Terror Attacks // FAI ONLINE

Israeli soldiers, wearing mandatory protective masks due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, pay tribute to fallen soldiers at the Kiryat Shemona military cemetery in northern Israel, April 28, 2020 (Credit: Jalaa Marey, AFP via Getty Images)

Millions of Israelis stood quietly and privately mourned across the country as sirens blared at 8:00 PM Monday and 11:00 AM Tuesday in observance of Memorial Day. Falling between Holocaust Remembrance Day and Israeli Independence Day every year, the “Day of the Memorial” (Yom HaZikaron) honors the more than 23,000 Israeli soldiers killed in battle since 1947, as well as more than 3,500 civilians murdered in terrorist attacks.

In previous years, cemeteries across the Jewish State were full of soldiers and mourners for commemorative ceremonies and graveside visits. This year, for the first time in Israel’s history as a modern nation, those cemeteries were almost empty during a temporary lock-down due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Despite the solemn occasion, several failed terror attacks were reported throughout the country on Tuesday. In the central Israeli town of Kfar Saba, a 62-year-old woman was rushed to the hospital with moderate wounds as a result of a stabbing attack. Her 19-year-old Palestinian assailant was also wounded - shot during the incident by a concerned passerby - potentially saving the elderly victim’s life. The suspect was also treated at an area hospital.

Two other attacks involving explosive devices were thwarted in Hebron, where a device exploded prematurely before it could be lobbed at Israeli soldiers, and in Haifa, where a vehicle-borne explosive device was discovered and neutralized before it could explode. Although unsuccessful, the attacks emphasize the vigilance that Israeli security forces must maintain at all times, even on sacred days of mourning for their own fallen.

The terror attacks came one day after Israeli jets allegedly struck Iranian targets in the Syrian capital of Damascus. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 4 Iranian-linked militiamen were killed, along with 3 civilians. Following usual protocol, Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennett did not comment on the strike itself, instead reiterating his government’s stance on Iranian influence in neighboring Syria. "We have moved from curbing Iran's establishment in Syria to pushing them out, and we will not stop,” said Bennett. “We will no longer allow strategic threats to grow beyond our borders without us acting".