Israel Stands Still: Remembrance Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror — a History of Pain and National Unity

On Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in the evening, silence falls across Israel as the Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorist Attacks begins. This day is not just a date on the calendar. It is a moment of national unity, mourning, and gratitude to those who gave their lives for the freedom and security of the State of Israel.
The Ministry of Defense has published updated data (as of 25.04.25) on the number of security personnel and soldiers who died in wars and military campaigns of Israel.
Since 1860, when the count began, and until today, 25,417 people have died in wars.
Since the previous Memorial Day, the list has grown by 316 names of the fallen and another 61 names of IDF disabled veterans who died from their injuries.
Today, Israel is home to 8,674 parents who lost children, 5,391 widows and widowers, 10,302 orphans, and 34,250 brothers and sisters — totaling 58,617 close relatives of the fallen.
The video shows the National Memorial Hall on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, where the names of those who fell in Israel’s wars are preserved and memorial ceremonies are held.
The complex is dedicated to perpetuating the memory of all soldiers and security personnel who fell defending the land of Israel, starting from 1860.
Each soldier’s name is engraved on a separate brick with an embedded electronic candle.
On the day of a soldier’s death, the candle lights up, signaling to visitors that the fighter is not forgotten.
Israel reverently honors the memory of each of its defenders, with the bricks arranged chronologically.
Together, they form a monolithic wall that constitutes the complex itself.
Similarly, each individual forms, together with others, a monolith — a nation, its life, its order, and its future, what after the French Revolution began to be called a nation.
At the entrance to the complex, a video sequence plays, showing soldiers marching to their final battle, never to return.
Nation of Remembrance: Memorial on Mount Herzl
The heart of national memory is the National Memorial Hall on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. Its walls bear the engraved names of all who have fallen since 1860. Each fighter is commemorated on an individual brick with an embedded electronic candle. On the day of death, the candle lights up to honor them.
“Each individual forms, together with others, a monolith — a nation, its life, its order, and its future,” — states the description of the Memorial.
At the entrance, visitors see a continuous video loop of soldiers marching into their final battle and not returning — a powerful symbol of inevitable losses and the significance of remembrance.
From “Etzion Day” to National Mourning
Memorial Day was officially established in 1951, and its status was enshrined in law in 1963. In 1998, it was decided to also commemorate victims of terrorist attacks on this day.
The idea of a separate Memorial Day arose after the fall of Kfar Etzion on 4 Iyar 5708 (1948) — just one day before the Declaration of Independence of Israel. A member of the Tirat Zvi kibbutz, Avraham Yitzhak Merhavya, proposed establishing “Etzion Day” in memory of this event — a day of national sacrifice for liberation.
After the end of the War of Independence in 1949, municipal and national ceremonies began to honor all the fallen. However, holding mourning ceremonies simultaneously with Independence Day celebrations proved difficult for bereaved families. By 1950, under the directive of the Chief of Staff, it was decided to establish a separate Memorial Day — one day before Independence Day.
The first recorded casualty among defenders of a Jewish settlement was Aharon Hershler, who was killed by marauders in Jerusalem on January 5, 1873.
The symbol of this day became the red flower "Blood of the Maccabees." According to legend, it blooms where the blood of heroes was spilled. Its image is pinned to clothing as a sign of personal gratitude and collective memory. The Ministry of Defense of Israel annually issues special stickers with this flower for ceremonies and Memorial Day events.
NAnews: about the important — for those who care
For us at NAnews — Israel News, this day holds special significance. We aim to tell the stories that unite the Jews of Israel and immigrants from Ukraine, stories of pain and heroism that resonate with everyone who has fought for their homeland's freedom.
Today, tens of thousands of people who lost loved ones live in the country. These figures are not just statistics. They are lives cut too short and families continuing to live with their pain.
In Eternal Memory of the Heroes
Today, Israel falls into a united moment of silence. Today, we remember those who gave their lives so that we could celebrate Independence Day.
As every year, NAnews will continue to follow the ceremonies, tell the stories of the fallen, and remind why we must never forget. https://nikk.agency/en/israel-stands/