Protests at ceremonies of Israel’s Memorial Day

TEL AVIV

Israeli military cemeteries and several ceremonies have witnessed a wave of protests and accusations against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli ministers during their participation in Israel’s Memorial Day.

Memorial Day observes annual commemoration ceremonies for killed Israeli soldiers who fought numerous wars since Israel's creation in 1948.

Israelis stood still and flags flew at half-mast as the country marked an especially painful Memorial Day following the carnage of the Oct. 7 attack. Israeli ministers were distributed over a number of military cemeteries to commemorate the soldiers killed in Israel’s wars, where protests ranged from accusations of responsibility for the failure to reach a deal for hostages held in Gaza to boycotts during speeches at the cemetery.

Dozens of Israelis also protested the presence of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir at the Ashdod military cemetery and demanded that he leave, calling him a “criminal,” while clashes erupted between supporters and opponents at the scene.

Netanyahu told a Memorial Day event that "our war of independence is not over yet. It continues even today... We are determined to win this struggle."

Speaking at a ceremony at the headquarters of Israeli internal intelligence service Shin Bet, chief Ronan Bar said the agency is conducting an “in-depth” investigation into its role in the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

Memorial Day comes ahead of the country's 76th Independence Day, when Israelis celebrate the creation of their state.

On the other hand, Palestinians remember the creation of Israel as the "Nakba" or catastrophe, marking the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of people from their homes.

On the occasion of the 76th anniversary of May 15, 1948, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics released a report containing statistical information on deaths, detentions, settlement construction and land expropriation in Palestine.

The bureau said that nearly 134,000 Palestinians or Arabs have been killed within and outside of Palestine territories related to the decades-long conflict since the establishment of Israel in 1948.

Furthermore, since the Arab-Israeli wars of 1967, Israel has reportedly detained around 1 million individuals.