Netanyahu: "The TikTok generation knows how to connect to reality"

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participated today (Tuesday) in the opening ceremony of Memorial Day events for Israel's fallen soldiers and victims of hostile acts 5785, at Yad LeBanim in Jerusalem:

From the Prime Minister's remarks: "I heard a bereaved mother say that the word 'pain' in Hebrew acronym means: each one in her own way. Each family - each and every one of us - stands with clenched lips facing the fracture, facing the loss, facing the immense void that has opened within us.

Each fallen soldier had a unique personality - which we remember on this sacred day. And since the fall of a son or daughter, brother or sister, spouse - one must learn how to navigate day-to-day life. How to breathe day-to-day. Because at the moment of receiving the news, which nothing is more bitter than, no air remains. Everything seems to empty out. One cannot breathe.

This is the profound meaning of the nation's embrace; the nation - and the state - for which our heroes fell. Only through our joint standing together, shoulder to shoulder, do we learn anew how to walk - and we march in the path of our loved ones to ensure Israel's eternity.

Six months ago, 47-year-old Shaul Moyal, a reserve fighter in the 'Alon' Brigade, went on an operational mission in southern Lebanon. At home, behind, remained Shaul's wife, Smadar, and their ten children. Shaul was asked many times: 'Why are you doing this? Why are you doing this? At your age and with your family situation, ten children, you could receive an exemption!'

And here is what he replied: 'I have a mission to complete. I was called to duty on October 7th, to a war more justified than any other. We must strike the enemy who attacked us, and return the residents of the north safely to their homes.'

So said Shaul Moyal, a wonderful educator. He fell during an operation to destroy a Hezbollah terror compound near our northern border. At the end of the seven days of mourning, Smadar gathered their ten children. And here is what she told them: 'We will rise from this crisis. We will live alongside this crisis. Right now there is a deep pit in our lives - but over it we will build bridges. We will continue to give of ourselves to the country and to the people - because this is an enormous privilege.'

The Prime Minister added: The undefeated spirit of the Moyal family - is the spirit of 25,417 fallen soldiers of Israel's defense: Jews, Druze, Christians, Circassians, Muslims, Bedouins. Among them the fallen of recent days - Raleb Suleiman al-Nasasra, Assaf Kafri, Neta Yitzhak Kahana, and Ido Woloch - may their memory be blessed.

To all these are added thousands of victims of hostile acts.

We all have one home. We all have one country. We all have one destiny. We all have one future. We received a historic opportunity to renew our national independence - and I tell you, I tell myself and each one of us - we will not receive another opportunity. Therefore, we must guard the State of Israel with utmost vigilance. So did our predecessors in past generations, and so we do today. We have all learned, as we have just seen, as we will see in the coming moments, that the screen generation - 'the TikTok generation,' as we called it - this generation knows how to leave the screen and connect to reality.

Since the Simchat Torah attack - the October 7th massacre - IDF servicemen and security forces have revealed themselves in their full glory. They charge against those who seek our lives on all fronts. They fight like lions to achieve victory. They sacrifice their lives to create the conditions for the return of our precious hostages, who are always, always before our eyes. Bringing them home is a sacred mission. We will not relent! Everyone understands who we are fighting against, and what we are fighting for.

Officer of the General Staff Reconnaissance Unit, Neve Lax of blessed memory, fell defending Kibbutz Be'eri. Neve embraced the stirring lines of Israeli freedom fighter, Avraham Stern (Yair): 'Behold, you are consecrated to me, homeland... in my blood you shall live forever.'

'Golani' officer, Ivri Dickstein of blessed memory, who fell in Lebanon, echoed the words of the Gush Etzion commander in the War of Independence, Mosh Zilberschmidt: 'What are we, and who are we - the main thing is the enterprise in which we live.'

Yamam officer, Arnon Zamora of blessed memory, fell in 'Operation Arnon' to rescue four living hostages from the Gaza Strip. I was very moved to hear that Arnon saw my brother Yoni, who fell in Entebbe, as a role model. Arnon's phone ringtone was the song 'Land of Deer,' written about the daring operation to free the hostages. Heroes of the past inspire heroes of the present, and heroes of the present inspire heroes of the future.

Dear families, my brothers and sisters,

The mutual solidarity between us is the source of strength. A supporting pillar - in the moments of tormenting longing. Captain (res.) Rabbi Avi Goldberg of blessed memory fell with Shaul Moyal and four other fighters in the encounter in Lebanon that I mentioned. Rabbi Avi's wife, Rachel, hurried to take their children to visit the wounded soldiers from the battle who were hospitalized. Rachel held in her hand, by the beds of the wounded, her violin, out of a desire to turn grief into melody. This is a melody of strength, as stated in the Book of Psalms: 'In distress, You have relieved me.' From distress - to relief. From pain - to healing.

I wish recovery to all the wounded, new and veteran. I saw the heart-wrenching photo of 'Givati' fighter, Ari Spitz. Ari lost two legs and an arm in battle. He has three prosthetics. At every opportunity, he raises his healthy arm and his artificial arm - in a victory gesture. Ari says: 'If the head is okay - everything is okay.' Not just the head, Ari - the heart. The lion heart of Ari Spitz. The lion heart of our fighters.

We love you, Ari. We admire you and your friends. You are the generation of victory! And with God's help, together we will complete the victory.

We will do this thanks to our sons and daughters, thanks to our heroes, thanks to our fallen - whose memory will be preserved with us for eternity."