Chief of Staff during the ceremony for the fallen. Photo: Guy Polombo, IDF Spokesperson

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A ceremony was held on Tuesday, in the presence of the Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Gabi Ashkenazi and the GOC of the Homefront Command, honoring the 611 soldiers who fell in the line of duty in the Homefront command.

“The Second Lebanon War and the difficult days the lives of the residents of Sderot and the communities surrounding Gaza,  reaffirm that in the wars of the future our enemies will view our home-front as a prime target.  It reaffirms the importance of the Homefront Command and of the importance of its soldiers”, said the Chief of Staff during the ceremony.  “At this very moment there are people who will use any posiible means to launch rockets into the heart of Israel, into residential neighborhoods, schools, kindergartens; who want to make murder the routine, terror their goal. But they will not succeed.  We will continue to stand up to those who wish our destruction.

“We the men that defend our home-front and you, the citizens of Israel are bound to a long-term contract and it must be upheld,” said the GOC of the home-front command, Major General Yitzhak Gershon.  “The home-front command has changed dramatically following the most intensive year experienced since the birth of the command. It is more focused, ready and prepared for its mission.  In the future wars that we pray will not break out, the citizens of Israel will see the soldiers bearing the orange beret of the home-front command in every city, and every town. Our forces will be ready to assist the citizens in every domain, every mission and every request, big or small.”

A memorial candle for the command was lit during the ceremony held in the Homefront Command memorial site in Ramleh. The candle was lit by Mrs. Shulamit Zur, the widow of Sergeant Gil (Deri) Zur z”l, who fell during reserve service on 06/06/1967, on the second day of combat in the Six Day War.

The Kadish prayer was recited by Daniel Ben Horen, the son on Yaakov Ben Horen z”l who fell on 05/06/1967, during the fight to liberate Jerusalem on the first day of combat in the Six Day War.

Mr. Medad Gotlieb spoke as a representative of the families of the fallen.  His son, Lieutenant Amit Gotlieb z”l (commander of the Rotem search and rescue unit), died during torrential flooding in the Kurman streams.

The wreath of the families of the fallen was laid by Mrs. Aliza Soruso, widow of Private Daniel Soruso who fell on 06/06/1967 on the second day of battle in the Six day War.