An especially emotional event took place Wednesday on April 30, at Jerusalem’s military cemetery of Mount Herzl: The Defense Ministry laid the cornerstone for a National Memorial Hall for Israel’s Fallen Soldiers. The edifice will be 18 meters (some 20 yards) in height and built in the shape of a torch; in its center an eternal flame will burn. The names of all the fallen soldiers will be engraved in the magnificent hall, and memorial candles will be lit on the anniversary of each, next to his name.
It is surprising that a country like Israel, which sanctifies the memory of its fallen soldiers, still does not have one monument to commemorate all its military casualties. True, it has innumerable, specific sites for IDF (Israel Defense Forces) brigades, for the fighters of the various underground movements, and for specific battles. But there isn't one single site to assemble the names of all the fallen.
