Memorial monument
State recognizes monument honoring fallen kibbutz members
Leader of Kibbutz Movement thanks Interior Minister Deri for announcing the move on Memorial Day, which will now see funds allocated toward maintaining monument that lists 3,084 kibbutz members who fell in Israel's wars.
Interior Minister Aryeh Deri declared Tuesday evening, as Israel mourned the country’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror for Memorial Day, that the Kibbutzim Monument in northern Israel is an official memorial site.
The construction of the monument was accompanied by voices of opposition about doubts over its necessity, since the fallen kibbutz members are also commemorated in other monuments scattered throughout the country.
The monument, which lists the names of 3,084 members of kibbutzim who have fallen in the line of duty, is located in the Mishmar HaEmek Forest overlooking the Jezreel Valley.
The monument is the third largest in terms of the numbers of name engravings, after the Memorial Hall National Fallen of Israel on Mount Herzl and Yad La-Shiryon in Latrun.
Prior to Deri’s promulgation of official recognition, the monument received no budget from the state.
The Minister of the Interior recognized the monument by virtue of his authority regarding national non-governmental memorial sites, in consultation with the Commemoration Council and the Megido Regional Council which deals with such matters.
“The area in which the monument is situated, between Ein HaShofet Mishmar HaEmek, is a grazing area where many minorities walk around who damage the monument again and again, and just maintaining it is a matter of considerable effort,” Nir Meir, a leader of the Kibbutz Movement, told Ynet.
“We contend with a lot of damage due to the nationalist harassment and I hope that from the moment that the site is recognized as a declared site of the state, it will take part in the responsibility for this matter and will be able to fix the damages more easily,” he added.
Meir also expressed his personal gratitude to Deri for making the decision. “As a representative for a Kibbutz bereaved family, I thank from the bottom of my heart the interior minister who has brought to an end this long journey for state recognition of our unique memorial site,” Meir said, while stressing that the fallen victims were worthy of state recognition.
“All in all, none of these people only looked out for themselves. They were all killed for this country, so we could found it and so we could protect it, and it’s wonderful that the state recognizes this,” he said.
Interior Minister Aryeh Deri (Photo: AFP)
After signing the state’s recognition, Minister Deri described his ability to declare the monument as a state-recognized site as a personal honor.
“On this evening of Memorial Day for the IDF’s fallen soldiers, I had the privilege of bestowing my personal respect upon thousands of fallen soldiers from the Kibbutzim, who gave their lives in the defence of the homeland,” Deri said.
“For years the monument did not receive official recognition. However, from this Memorial Day forward, children of the Kibbutzim will be able to honor the fallen soldiers at the official memorial monument.”
Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Environment Minister Zeev Elkin confirmed the recognition and asked that Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman issue a statement stating that he does not oppose the move. Lieberman issued the statement.
The Commemoration Council and the Megido Regional Council will be partially responsible for the maintenance of the monument, in coordination with the Kibbutz Movement subject to the funding it receives.
