In a powerful national moment of reflection, Israel will hold its official Memorial Day state ceremony on Wednesday morning at the iconic Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem, honoring the memory of the nation’s fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism who made the ultimate sacrifice for the Jewish homeland.
At precisely 11:00 a.m. local time, the entire country will come to a halt as a two-minute nationwide siren echoes from the northern border to the southern tip of Eilat. Traffic will stop, pedestrians will freeze, and a sacred silence will descend as Israelis collectively remember the 25,420 men, women, and children lost since 1860 in defense of the land and the people of Israel.
There are days when words aren’t enough.
— Ambassador Haim Regev (@HaimRegev) April 29, 2025
Tonight Israel marks Yom Hazikaron.
We remember those men and woman who gave everything for Israel.
Their sacrifice is the reason we are here today. Their memory isn’t just to be honored, but to remind us all to live with purpose and to… pic.twitter.com/tEmildjxat
The event, broadcast live across Israeli television with voiceover in multiple languages broadcast on channels like i24 (English, French), and ILTV (English) marks the most solemn hour on the Israeli calendar—a moment when politics pause, disagreements dissolve, and the nation bows its head in unity and grief.
The central ceremony will be attended by President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Supreme Court Chief Justice Yitzhak Amit, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and senior figures from the Israel Defense Forces, Shin Bet, Mossad, and emergency services.
Breaks my heart. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME! 😢
— Arsen Ostrovsky 🎗️ (@Ostrov_A) April 29, 2025
An Israeli boy hugging his father’s grave on Yom Hazikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror). pic.twitter.com/PvgvPcti0F
Following the siren, the Israeli Air Force will perform the symbolic "missing man formation" flyover, a gesture honoring those who never returned home. The thunder of jets over Mount Herzl’s hallowed grounds will serve as a reminder of the continued vigilance and strength of Israel’s military.
At 1:00 p.m., a separate state ceremony will be held in memory of terror victims, both within Israel and abroad. This poignant event, also at Mount Herzl, will commemorate those murdered in cold blood simply for being Israeli or Jewish—whether in bus bombings, synagogue shootings, or abroad in places like Buenos Aires, Paris, and Pittsburgh.
This year’s Memorial Day holds particular emotional weight
Since the last commemoration in 2024, 319 additional soldiers have perished, many of them in the ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza or in northern confrontations with Hezbollah. These young men and women join the ever-growing list of heroes stretching back to the earliest days of Zionist resettlement.
This day. This freakin day. 🥺
— Hillel Fuld (@HilzFuld) April 30, 2025
This year, this day is infinitely worse than most years.
This year, the club that no one wants to be a part of has expanded significantly.
Today is Yom Hazikaron, the day on which we remember all of our lost heroes. The soldiers, the victims of… pic.twitter.com/rm5Y1q9kyl
The day’s events will culminate in a dramatic and emotional transition from mourning to celebration. At 7:45 p.m., Israel will shift from Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day) to Yom Ha’atzmaut (Independence Day) with the traditional torch-lighting ceremony, also held at Mount Herzl.
This nationally broadcast ceremony features military honors, cultural performances, and a symbolic lighting of twelve torches representing the twelve tribes of Israel—each lit by extraordinary Israeli citizens chosen for their contributions to the country.
From solemn remembrance to unbreakable celebration, Israel’s 77th year of independence begins not in joy, but in honor. As always, the state remembers that its freedom was purchased at a price—and that price was lives.
