President Herzog Calls for Unity at Memorial Ceremony

President Isaac Herzog delivered a speech at the state memorial ceremony for the fallen soldiers of the Swords of Iron War, held at Mount Herzl. Three years after the October 7th massacre, Herzog remembered the "heroes of the black morning," acknowledging the heavy price paid and the national trauma.

He specifically recalled the bravery of the female observers at the Nachal Oz outpost, who were stationed just 800 meters from the Gaza border. Herzog described their constant vigilance and their prescient, albeit cynical, message scrawled on a bunker wall: "Look how she walks peacefully, as if Gaza is not next to her." He detailed how these observers were the first to identify the terrorists breaching the border fence at 6:29 AM on October 7th, maintaining their composure and reporting the breach with the military code "Turkish Falcon." Despite the imminent danger, they did not abandon their posts. The battle for Nachal Oz resulted in the deaths of 53 soldiers from various units, contributing to the hundreds who fell that day.

Addressing the complex reality three years after the tragedy, Herzog acknowledged the grief of bereaved families, the wounded, and those displaced from their homes, alongside the resilience and mutual aid demonstrated by Israeli society, the return of hostages, and rebuilding efforts.

Turning to the current political climate, Herzog urged a pause for reflection amidst the "passionate election campaign." While acknowledging debate and disagreement as vital to democracy, he cautioned against allowing them to devolve into destructive division. "Ultimately, those who disagree with each other today will continue to live together here tomorrow, and their children will be required to protect the country and build its future together," he stated.

He concluded by referencing another message left by the observers on the Nachal Oz bunker wall: "Everything will be alright. We will yet shine." This, he said, remains a testament of hope and responsibility for the entire public to look forward, act with mutual responsibility, and ensure that from this great rupture, the State of Israel will indeed grow and shine anew.