The President of Israel and the Mayor of Jerusalem unveiled the "Swords of Iron" memorial. Located on Jerusalem's Ruppin Street opposite the National Library, this monument is the first in the capital to commemorate both civilian victims and military casualties of the past year's conflict.
The ceremony was held in the presence of President Isaac Herzog, Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion, members of the A-staff, members of the Jerusalem City Council, dozens of ambassadors, bereaved families, and others.
President Isaac Herzog spoke at the beginning of the event, saying, "These are difficult, painful, and bloody days, in which our enemies are doing everything in their power to prevent Israeli citizens from living normal lives, to harm the citizens of Israel and the State of Israel - throughout the country. Tens of thousands of Israeli citizens woke up last night to a criminal terrorist attack, aimed directly at the Israeli home front, at children, the elderly, the sick, residents who just want to live in peace and security.
We have never desired war, and we do not want war, but let it be clear: We will not rest or be quiet until all Israeli citizens return to their homes and are protected and secure. It is the right of the State of Israel, and its duty to protect its citizens. The defensive and offensive capabilities of the State of Israel are proving themselves, and we will continue until full security is achieved."
President Herzog added: "I offer strength to our wonderful IDF soldiers and commanders and security forces. Our heroines and heroes, the best of our daughters and sons - in regular service and in reserves - who have been operating around the clock for a whole year. They are fighting for all of us. They have no night and no day. They are paying enormous prices - for us, for our security, for our future. I pray on behalf of all of us for their success and well-being - may God protect their going out and coming in from now and forever. I wish to praise the heroism of Israeli citizens - everywhere - who demonstrate strength of spirit and responsibility, even in difficult moments full of worry.
On behalf of the entire nation, I send words of strength and encouragement to our sisters and brothers in the north. True heroines and heroes. These are moments of test for us as a society - and we all stand with you, support you, and are committed to getting through this period together, and to emerge from it to rehabilitation and joint construction in the north, south, and throughout the country."
Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion said, "This memorial highlights the magnitude of the loss experienced by the city of Jerusalem, while also conveying hope for better days, days that we all pray and long for. This is a shared commemoration, conveying a message of hope and unity, which are so important to all of us. Anyone who looks at the memorial realizes the size of the unbearable price that Jerusalem has paid, and that the State of Israel has paid since October 7 - the great pain involved in this price.
Many times the families [of the bereaved requested something] that was so obvious to us: don't forget our dear ones, do everything so that their memory is commemorated in a dignified way, do it in a unifying and consolidating way. And today, we are fulfilling your request and are honored to fulfill what we promised."
Lion added: "This memorial honors the words, the tears, the stories, the pain of the families. It is a silent and strong testimony to what cannot be expressed, but above all, it honors the lives they gave and the lessons we must take with us. The memory of the fallen - our fighters and civilians alike - commands us to continue loving others and for the land. We must continue together, to work for unity, from seeing what we all have in common, for Jerusalem the capital of Israel, for the State of Israel. As the months of war have taught us well, our strength lies in our unity - and only together will we win! Let us all, from the depths of our hearts, pray for the quick return home of all the hostages."
A chapter of Psalms was recited by Rabbi Shmuel Slotki, who lost his two sons, Noam and Yishai, in the war. The prayer for the return of the abductees was delivered by Jon Polin, father of Hersh Goldberg-Polin.
The names of the fallen are engraved on the memorial - the soldiers and members of the Jerusalem security and rescue forces who fell from the beginning of the "Swords of Iron" war alongside the victims of in the war, who were residents of Jerusalem.
The memorial was designed by the architectural firm Ulakh Tol. The memorial is based on the shape of the Star of David, which symbolizes a protective amulet and guardian, from whose vertices iron plates rise towards the sky as if carrying a prayer and together create a felled and cracked tree, but one that contains within it the ability for growth and healing and also symbolizes the power and strength for connection and unity out of the enormous break. The memorial is made of iron, its diameter is 14 meters and it rises to a height of about 5.5 meters.
At the entrance to the core of the memorial, the verse is engraved: "Therefore Zion shall weep bitterly, and Jerusalem shall give forth her voice. My heart, my heart [mourns] for their slain; my bowels, my bowels [mourn] for their slain" (from the "Nachem" prayer). Near the memorial, they created a mini-auditorium and inside it a private space with unique lighting.
The ceremony was hosted by Ofer Hadad, and during it singer Omer Adam performed "Shir Lama'alot", Rita sang "Until You Leave", Natan Goshen performed the song "We'll Wait for You" and singer Efrat Gosh sang "To See the Light".
Note: The Jerusalem Municipality, through the Jerusalem Development Authority and the Moriah Company, promoted the planning of the memorial and its actual establishment, in coordination with the Families Division of the Ministry of Defense and the National Insurance Institute regarding victims of terror.
