A powerful image in the context of a dead IDF soldier looking down on the Yom HaAtzmaut celebrations which he died to make possible.

Never forget or take it for granted that while we celebrate Independence Day this week, that our celebrations and our good safe life is held up and made possible by the many who died defending this great country.

Image: Guy Morad

Happy new year to the Druze community for Ziyarat al-Nabi Shu'ayb!!!

I will add that the spiritual leader of the Druze community made a big decision to cancel this year's Druze New Year celebrations tomorrow out of respect for the fact that tomorrow is Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day) for the IDF soldiers and other security forces as well as for the civilian victims of terror. The Druze community have also lost many great soldiers and security personnel who died in the line of duty, 494 to be exact, and they wish to rather mourn them than to celebrate their new year tomorrow.

So today they are celebrating it and they will postpone it tomorrow and resume the next day. Druze new year is always between the 25th and 28th of April.

Tonight, starting from the nationwide siren at 8pm, we will commemorate the 24,213 IDF soldiers and other security personnel who died defending the state of Israel as well as the 4,255 civilians who died from war or terror while simply doing every day things such as going to work or having lunch, since 1860.

May their memories be for a blessing!

I need to make a correction. Jordanian member of Parliament, Imad El-Adwan, was arrested by Israeli authorities after he tried to smuggle loads of weapons into Israel via the Jordanian border.

In memory of the 515 Magav (Border Guard) fighters who died in the line of duty.

May their memories be for a blessing.

According to Arab channels only, there is some situation taking place at the Allenby Bridge, which is the border crossing point to Jordan from Israel.

An IDF combat engineer in the Saifan company of the elite Yahalom unit during training. One of my good friends served in this unit.

Their training includes use of protective gear in combat, robotics, chemical engineering and identifying chemical and biological weapons and unconventional weapons use. The unit also is trained in underground warfare, including tunnels.

Remembering Corporal Shimon Fahima and Sergeant David Biton, Mizrachi Jews who were best of friends, both born in Morocco, who both made aliyah with their families to Israel and who both served in the Golani Brigade as expert sappers and who both died on the same day in the same battle in the Yom Kippur war.

Best friends in life and in death.

May their memories be for a blessing!

This had me in tears.

Remembering 19 year old Shawn Mondshein, the IDF Golani soldier who wrote goodbye letters to his family and friends just 1 week before his death in Operation Tzuk Eitan in 2014.

His letters were found on his phone after he and his 6 friends were killed when an anti-tank missile hit their partially armoured APC. Israeli singer, Hanan Ben Ari, took those letters and turned it into this song.

He died along with:
Staff Sergeant Oren Simcha Noah
Staff Sergeant Daniel Pomerantz
Staff Sergeant Oron Shaul
Staff Sergeant Shahar Tase
Sergeant Ben Yitzhak Oanounou
Sergeant Max Donald Steinberg

May their memories be for a blessing.