Calls To Suspend Protests On Israel’s Memorial Day, After Bereaved Parents Request Politicians Not Attend Ceremonies

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — As Israel’s national memorial day looms, the country is still riven by polemic and social discord, leading to fears that the day which commemorates the tens of thousands who have died in Israels’ wars and in terrorist acts will be marred by friction and conflict.

For this reason, members of the anti-reform groups are calling for a suspension of protests during memorial day. The Brothers In Arms group representing IDF reservists who protest the reforms said that “On the coming Memorial Day, we will not protest because our hearts will be with our brothers and sisters in arms who fell in battle, we will bow our heads for them, we will cry and hug the families,” the Brothers in Arms group said in a statement on social media.

“We call on all the brothers and sisters in arms to leave their protest shirts at home and not to come to the cemeteries with them,” the group added.

A number of bereaved families have demanded that politicians not attend or speak at Memorial Day ceremonies, and some have specified that they do not want politicians who did not serve in the IDF to participate in the ceremonies for the fallen soldiers. The head of the Yad Labanim organization which organizes commemoration activities for fallen soldier, Eli Ben-Shem, warned that confrontations could break out if politicians attend these events.

“I very much hope that they [the government] understand that these places are dynamite,” said Ben Shem on Kan Radio, in reference to military ceremonies on Memorial Day. Ben Shem claimed that politicians who did not serve in the IDF attending such memorial services would be like  “lighting a bonfire in a cemetery” and said such a situation should be avoided.

Tensions on the issue have been exacerbated due to the new proposed legislation which would lower the exemption age for chareidim, effectively allowing them to join the workforce at age 23 or even 21 instead of the current exemption age of 26.

Currently Defense Minister Gallant, who is involved in the legislation, has rejected the request of Ben Shem and other bereaved families to prevent politicians from attending ceremonies. The Defense Ministry has not released the list of public figures who will be attending these ceremonies, but Ben Shem said that there are seven such ceremonies due to be attended by politicians who did not serve in the IDF, including at the Beersheva cemetery where Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir is slated to speak. Ben-Gvir was rejected by the IDF due to his right-wing activities prior to reaching enlistment age.

“They need to exercise common sense otherwise there will be a catastrophe. [The military] cemeteries are the holy of holies of the State of Israel, if we will see violence and shouting over the graves of our children — I would want to die,” said the Yad Labanim chairman, who is himself a bereaved father.

Last week, Ben Shem stated that some 8,000 parents had contacted his organization and requested that politicians not attend the services. He noted that there was particularly strident opposition to Ben Gvir’s participation in the Beersheba ceremony, with some of the bereaved families stating that they would bring eggs to throw at the politicians if they came.

Other bereaved parents spoke out against those opposed to the politicians coming. Yossi Tzur, who lost his son Assaf in the No. 37 bus bombing in Haifa in 2003, wrote on Ynet that “Memorial Day is too sacred to degrade it with threats and sanctions.” Tzur stressed that the politicians at memorial events are not representing their views or parties, they are representing the state and this is the way the state honors its fallen. Tzur added that “not the participation of the politicians, but rather the demand to prevent them from participating is politicization of the national day of memorial.” He added that in previous years, ministers went to places with different political orientations and were honored to speak, since “political divides are temporary but Memorial Day is fixed.”

Opposition leader Benny Gantz also stressed that politicians must attend the state ceremonies on Memorial day as part of their duty as elected officials

“We public leaders have an obligation and a national responsibility to attend the ceremonies and fulfill our duty… [We must] do our best and attend, coalition alongside opposition, to show that we are all united on this day,” said Gantz.

He said he respected and accepted criticism of bereaved families “with love” but insisted that the societal divisions needed to be put aside for Memorial Day.

“We should all enter the cemeteries for the Memorial Day ceremonies with our personal and national grief, and leave the public debate outside, if only for one day.”

Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter also pushed back against the idea of preventing politicians from speaking at Memorial Day services, saying he and others would attend “as publicly elected officials,” although he acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue and the current societal tensions.

“We are talking about state events that have a clear and recognized format, a tradition that has been in place for decades, and with all the difficulties and all the sensitivities we should not damage this tradition on Memorial Day or Independence Day,” Dichter said on Kan Radio.