100 bereaved families ask coalition MKs to skip cemetery speeches on upcoming Memorial Day
Relatives reportedly urge lawmakers not to turn their loved ones’ final resting place into a political platform, pan government policies as creating more bereavement
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Over 100 bereaved families opposed to the government have signed a call for coalition lawmakers not to give speeches at cemetery events when Israel marks Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and terror victims next week, the Haaretz daily reported Tuesday.
In a letter sent to every coalition member of the Knesset, they reportedly asked that the politicians not turn the cemeteries into a political arena.
“We,” they wrote, “who have paid the heaviest price and continue to carry it every day, appeal to you: Don’t come to make speeches in the cemeteries next to our loved ones. Their resting place is not a political platform to give over divisive messages.”
Directly attacking government policies, they wrote: “If you choose to speak, then tell the truth: This way creates more bereavement. And if you have responsibility, change it.”
There has been pushback against coalition members and ministers participating in ceremonies ever since 2023, amid protests against the government’s plan to drastically overhaul the judiciary in a way that critics said would erode the country’s democratic character. Since then, the Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel later that year and the handling of the ensuing war, as well as wars with Iran and against its proxy terror group Hezbollah, have continued to fuel objections from some against coalition figures appearing at ceremonies.
Organizers of the letter plan to hold a rally at the Kiryat Shaul Military Cemetery in Tel Aviv on Friday under the slogan “Let us remember quietly,” Haaretz said.
Israel will mark Memorial Day on April 20.
Last year, the government shuffled the planned attendances by some government ministers at memorial events following an outcry from bereaved families at some of the representatives allocated to events.
Memorial Day is considered among the most solemn days on Israel’s national calendar, with ceremonies and other events honoring the memory of soldiers, security personnel and terror victims killed since 1860.
Attendance by government representatives at memorials and military cemeteries is considered de rigueur, sometimes sparking tense confrontations between mourners and lawmakers.
The Times of Israel Community.