Herzog says Israel has ‘supreme moral imperative’ to bring slain hostages home for burial

Speaking at the memorial event for fallen soldiers whose burial places are unknown, President Isaac Herzog says Israel has a “supreme moral imperative” to allow families to come full circle and grieve properly by bringing the dead home for a proper burial.

“It is true for our loved ones who joined this terrible cycle during the war that we are still in the midst of,” he says at Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl military cemetery.

“We must not rest and we must not be silent until everyone returns home, all the living hostages and all the dead hostages,” says Herzog, calling it a “supreme covenant” between the state and its soldiers and citizens.

Herzog says that Israel’s enemies are “once again mistaken in their understanding of our determination and commitment to change reality. They are mistaken in analyzing Israeli society and the determination of the IDF and the security forces, and are repeatedly bringing disaster on their people.”

He stresses Israel’s commitment to bring home the body of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, who was killed and abducted in Gaza during a ceasefire in 2014.

The memorial day for soldiers whose burial place is unknown was set by the Chief Rabbinate on the 7th of Adar in the Hebrew calendar — tomorrow — which is in Jewish tradition the date of birth and death of Moses, whose burial place is unknown.

Herzog warns against internal strife as well: “The internal war is raising its head. As if we have learned nothing! As if we do not remember that the evil Iranian empire celebrates the wars of the Jews.”

“I cry out and call: We do not want more, stop!”