Israel - Supreme Court: New memorial won't include terror victims


The Supreme Court ruled that the new memorial for fallen IDF soldiers at Jerusalem's Mount Herzl will not include the names of victims of terrorism.

The Organization of Casualties of Terror Acts in Israel appealed to the Supreme Court against the Ministry of Defense and Yad Lebanim, arguing that the new memorial is an official state site, and that it should therefore not discriminate because of the circumstances of the death. The Organization of Casualties of Terror Acts cited Yad Lebanim as an example, saying that, just as the state establishment does not distinguish between Holocaust victims, there should be no difference between the Israel's fallen.

The Ministry of Defense and Yad Lebanim countered that the dead in Israel's wars and the victims of terrorism should be commemorated differently, in order to preserve the uniqueness and symbolism of commemorating fallen IDF soldiers.

The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal by the Organization of Casualties of Terror Acts, ruling that the commemoration of victims of terrorism will be separate. The decision will not only affect the Mount Herzl memorial, but also the character of memorials in general, whether they are memorials of incidents or recognition by the state.

In January 2013, there was a similar argument over the victims of the Carmel fire, in which Yad Lebanim and the Organization of Casualties of Terror Acts allied against the government's plan to commemorate the three firemen killed in the blaze alongside victims of terrorism, calling the firemen "Israel's Fallen in Civil Action".


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