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BY ITZHAK RABIHIYA / SNN, Space Network News

Israel must not remain indifferent 'to the threats of war and destruction made by our soul-seekers,' says Netanyahu at ceremony to read out names of those who fell in defense of the state or lost their lives to terror; 'The day when there are no wars is far away,' says Gantz 

On Independence Day eve Israel's population over 9.3m 

The population has grown by 1.5% or 137,000 since last Independence Day, the Central Bureau of Statistics reports.Israel's population has reached 9.327 million on the eve of Israel's 73rd Independence Day, the Central Bureau of Statistics reports. 

The population has grown by 1.5% or 137,000 since last Independence Day. Over the year, 167,000 babies were born, 16,300 people immigrated to Israel and 50,000 people died. 

The Central Bureau of Statistics projects that Israel's population will reach 11.1 million by 2030, 13.2 million by 2040, and 15.2 million by 2048, which will be the country's 100th anniversary. Israel's is a young country by OECD standards with 28.1% of the population aged 14 or below, while the OECD average is 18%. Israel's over 65 population comprises 12% of the country, compared with the OECD average of 17% - globes newspaper reports.

Israel fell silent at 11am Wednesday as the country marked Memorial Day with a two-minute siren echoing across the country in honor of its fallen soldiers and victims of terror. 

This year's annual events were being held with minimal restrictions after last year's ceremonies were heavily scaled down due to the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic – Ynet news reports. 

Bereaved families were given permission to visit military cemeteries across the country, unlike in 2020 when relatives of the fallen were banned from entering while Israel was at the peak of the pandemic. 

Memorial Day events started at 8:30am with a ceremony at the National Hall For Israel's Fallen on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, where the names of the fallen soldiers were read out. 

"The day on which there are no wars is unfortunately far away, and we will continue to carry out our mission, which is to defend the homeland and live on our sword as well," said Defense Minister Benny Gantz at the ceremony.

"Each fallen soldier, no matter rank, gender or origin, has a place," said Gantz, a former head of the IDF. 

The siren was followed by a national remembrance ceremony for the fallen soldiers at Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem. Immediately after the siren, at 11:02am, there was a special IAF flyby over the hall with a missing member of the formation to honor the fallen. 

President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Gantz were in attendance. 

In apparent reference to the current tensions with Iran, Netanyahu said at the ceremony that Israel must not remain indifferent "to the threats of war and destruction made by our soul-seekers." 

Since last year's Memorial Day, 112 names have been added to the list of fallen including 69 former soldiers who died as a result of injuries sustained during their service. 

The national day of mourning ends at sundown Thursday, when the country switches from sadness to joy with the onset of Independence Day. 

The Jewish Agency for Israel’s annual Yom Hazikaron ceremony held on Wednesday morning honored a tragic event in Jewish history, as well as fallen soldiers, terror victims and those who were injured or killed in antisemitic attacks. 

In 1961, during a secret mission intended to bring Jewish Moroccan immigrants to Israel, the Egoz ship sank, resulting in the loss of 44 people. 

Among those on board the ship were 43 immigrants, half of whom were children, in addition to Mossad operative Haim Tzarfati z”l. Authorities were able to locate 22 bodies, which were then buried in a Jewish cemetery, but the rest were lost at sea. In 1992, the bodies were moved to Jerusalem’s Mt. Herzl where they were given a ceremonial burial. 

Chairman Herzog and Gila Gutman Azulay - who lost the majority of her family on the ship - both lit a torch to commemorate the victims and the men and women who died defending Israel. 

The memorial event was organized by The Jewish Agency, with the participation of the World Zionist Organization (WZO), the Jewish National Fund (JNF), Keren Hayesod, Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) and the Jewish Federations of Canada (JFC). 

As the ceremony also commemorated those who perished in terror and antisemetic attacks, a memorial wall of all the victims from around the world was unveiled. According to data from The Jewish Agency, since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, 200 Jews were killed in antisemitic incidents and terror attacks worldwide.

SNN, Space Network News (www.spacenetworknews.com)