Israel’s Memorial and Independence Days

Ami Isseroff

April 20, 1999 - Today is Israel’s memorial day, sacred to all those who died fighting in our wars, and those who were victims of terror. The tens of thousands of casualties include Jews, Druze and Bedouin citizens of Israel who have fallen fighting side by side. We give honor to them, to whom we owe so much, and our sympathy to their families. A group of citizens has also chosen this day to honor the memory of assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who devoted his life to fighting for Israel in every war. He was killed not at the hand of an enemy of Israel, but by an enemy of peace, a so-called Zionist who brought shame on the Zionist movement, a monster bred by hate. Dani Kinrot explains his feelings, and why people gather on this day at Rabin square at http://middle-east.yu-hu.com/peacewatch/yizkor.htm (in Hebrew). The Israeli government has set up a Web site at http://www.izkor.gov.il/main.htm with a page for each person who died. Unfortunately, that page does not seem to be functional.

May we hope that one day there will be a memorial day of both Israelis and Palestinians, for the sake of all the bereaved parents and families, and for the honor of all those who have died? Israeli officials said today ‘We are doing everything possible to put an end to the wars, so that no more families will have to hear the knock on the door.’ Howver, there are many who believe that leaders of both sides are not doing enough for peace. We shall not have peace until we put peace first - before ‘territories’ and ‘justice’ and ‘honor’ and before ‘God’s commandments’ to the two children of Abraham.

April 21 is the anniversary of Israeli independence, celebrated according to the Hebrew calendar. Palestinians and Israelis see this day in entirely opposite colors of course, each view a projection of the views of each side about history. For a major characteristic of the conflict, which has not changed, is that each side lives with their own history of the same events and the same period. If we are to advance toward peace, we must either put this ‘history’ aside, or else both sides must be prepared to deal with it frankly and truthfully. Many Zionists refuse to see the gap in culture and income, and the discrimination against Palestinian Arabs created prior to 1948. Most Zionists refuse to acknowledge any responsibility for the plight of the refugees, and many Israeli Jews want to believe that all the refugees are ‘terrorists,’ because that is more convenient then acknowledging that innocent civilians were hurt. The Arab version of history ignores the role of Palestinian leadership in bringing the disaster of 1948 on the Palestinian people. The Grand Mufti, Haj Amin El Husseini and the violence he perpetrated is not mentioned. The plans of the Arab League, and their announced intention of driving the Jews into the sea, never existed.

More dangerous to peace, both sides have their own version of the history that is being created by current reality as well. Israelis go about their business as if house demolitions do not occur, as if there are no refugees in Gaza and Lebanon and no land expropriation. Palestinians ignore or excuse acts of terror and incitement.

We must hope that some day soon both sides will be willing to see history and reality as it really is, and to implement a true peace for both peoples. Then perhaps we shall be able to celebrate the peace together. Then and only then will we be able to say that those who died did not die in vain.

Then and only then shall we be able to ensure "that no more families will have to hear the knock on the door."

Presented by the PEACE Mid-East Dialog Group

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