In a deeply symbolic tribute marking Israel\u2019s Memorial Day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wore the tefillin of Master Sergeant (Res.) Yossi Hershkowitz, a fallen soldier and beloved educator who was killed during his service in Operation Swords of Iron in Gaza. Standing draped in a prayer shawl before a map of the Middle East, Netanyahu described Hershkowitz as a man of deep faith and national devotion\u2014someone who carried both a weapon and a violin.<\/p>\n
He Held a Weapon in One Hand and a Violin in the Other<\/strong> Even from the battlefield in Gaza, Netanyahu noted, Yossi continued sending messages of strength to his family, his students, and the people of Israel.<\/p>\n From Grief to Strength<\/strong> Earlier Ceremony at Mount Herzl<\/strong> Our Generation Will Not Remain Silent<\/strong> He concluded: \u201cThanks to the courage of our warriors, we have broken the stranglehold of our enemies.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On Memorial Day, Israel\u2019s Prime Minister honors Master Sergeant Yossi Hershkowitz z\u201dl, who fell in Gaza, calling him a symbol of courage, faith, and national strength.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":21415,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[77,74,88],"tags":[5008,1513,4233,3027,5009],"class_list":["post-21412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-idf","category-news","category-will-remember","tag-israels-memorial-day","tag-netanyahu","tag-operation-swords-of-iron","tag-tefillin","tag-yossi-hershkowitz"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n\u201cOn this Memorial Day, I have the privilege of putting on the tefillin of an Israeli hero,\u201d Netanyahu wrote. \u201cYossi was filled with true love for Israel. When called to serve, he left his wife, Hadas, and their children\u2014Be’eri, Hillel, Tal, Shira, and Neta\u2014to protect the home we all share.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYossi combined nobility of spirit with unyielding determination,\u201d Netanyahu said. \u201cIn one hand, he held his rifle. In the other\u2014his violin.
\nWe will turn our grief over Yossi\u2019s fall, and that of all our heroes, into a melody\u2014the melody of the power of a victorious generation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nEarlier in the day, Netanyahu addressed the official state ceremony at Mount Herzl, following a two-minute siren and a flyover by the Israeli Air Force. He honored the bravery of Israel\u2019s soldiers and reiterated the government\u2019s ongoing commitment to returning the hostages still held by Hamas.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOur sons and daughters do not stay silent in the face of what those monsters unleashed a year and a half ago,\u201d Netanyahu said.
\n\u201cThey are determined to make those who carried out the atrocities pay.\u201d<\/p>\n