(A7) The Hasmonean Brigade held its main ceremony on Monday, marking Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers of Israel’s Wars and Victims of Terror.

The ceremony, led by the commander of the brigade, Colonel Shemer Raviv, brought together the command staff and soldiers who were not on the front line at the time.

While those on base read the Yizkor prayer and lowered the Israeli flag to half-mast, the brigade’s troops operating on the battlefield in Lebanon held improvised and limited memorial ceremonies, in accordance with the limitations of operational activity.

At the main ceremony, the memorial torch was lit, and the National Anthem “Hatikva” concluded the ceremony, with the soldiers and commanders saluting in memory of the soldiers who fell in battle.

In his speech, the brigade commander emphasized the meaning of the fallen soldiers’ sacrifice for the existence of the state: “On this day, we pause our daily lives, bow our heads, and unite in remembrance of the fallen, those who gave their lives so that we may live here, in this land, in security.”

Raviv also highlighted the power of Memorial Day in uniting different parts of the nation, especially in such a complex year: “This day expresses the deep spiritual bond between all parts of the nation, a day when an entire people gathers around a shared memory, shared pain, and immeasurable gratitude.”