Memorial candles were lit tonight at the home of President Zalman Shazar to mark the beginning of Memorial Day for Israel’s war dead. Sirens were sounded at seven p.m. local time and all places of entertainment closed. Prime Minister Levi Eshkol and Chief of Staff Haim Bar-Lev addressed the nation by radio tonight. Tomorrow, memorial services will be held in military cemeteries throughout Israel.
In his Memorial Day message, Mr. Eshkol warned that “every attempt to destroy Israel will come to nothing.” He said the enemy still refused to understand this. “Daily we stand in battle, ready to repel aggressors,” he said. “The struggle is long and hard and we have paid the price of precious blood. But Israel has been saved and within our hearts there is happiness mingled with sadness. Long rows of fresh graves have been added to our cemeteries. On a tray of steel and lead, they have given us our lives anew.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
