Memorial Day events officially begin with afternoon ceremony for fallen soldiers in Jerusalem; at 8pm, a one-minute siren will be heard followed by a candle-lighting ceremony at the Western Wall.

The opening ceremony for Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers of Israel and Victims of Terrorism was held at Yad LaBanim in Jerusalem on Sunday afternoon, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, and Israel's Chief Rabbis Yitzhak Yosef and David Lau in attendance.

In his speech, Netanyahu said: "A cloud of sorrow surrounds the State of Israel and envelops the families, the parents, the children, the widows and the spouses, the brothers and sisters whose loved ones, our dear ones, have fallen in Israel's wars. From the moment the dagger of bereavement stabbed our hearts, the order of our lives has been changed forever. It is thanks to them that we have risen, it is thanks to them that we are alive… The spark of their calling continues to shine bright."

Since the beginning of the Jewish Yishuv in the Land of Israel in 1860, 23,544 soldiers have died. Over the past year, 97 others lost their lives, among them 60 active-duty soldiers and 37 wounded IDF veterans who passed away as a result of their injuries and have been recognized as such.

In a letter to IDF soldiers and commanders, IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot wrote that "In their death, the fallen have left us with a legacy and a testament—to be the defenders of the people and to hold the sword for its freedom in its land."

Eisenkot noted that, "With the legacy of the fallen, we are charged to preserve the values they have adopted in their lives—courage and mental fortitude, responsibility and dedication, a sense of mission and belief in the righteousness of the way. The values that beat in the hearts of the fallen are the secret to the strength of the Israel Defense Force to this very day. The IDF spirit is the common language shared by those who serve."

He called on the IDF's soldiers to lend a hand to the bereaved families of the fallen. "In their death, the fallen have charged us with one more thing: to stand by their families and accompany them on the journey of life after loss, a journey that began on the day the light of their life was put out. We must continue to support them throughout the year to ease their pain as much as possible," he wrote.

Today, we will also remember the IDF's missing soldiers and the fallen soldiers whose place of burial is unknown, and we will pray that our children return to their own land."

The IDF announced on Saturday that a closure will be imposed on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip will be closed during Memorial Day and Independence Day, with all border crossings shuttered. The closure will end at midnight on the night between Tuesday and Wednesday. During the closure, only humanitarian, medical and exceptional cases will be allowed through.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4955883,00.html

Memorial candles placed on graves of fallen soldiers at the Kiryat Shaul cemetery in Tel Aviv