Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Day of Remembrance for the Fallen Soldiers of Israel and Victims of Terrorism, which was held at the Yad LaBanim memorial for fallen soldiers in Jerusalem Tuesday afternoon, Speaker of the Knesset MK Yuli Yoel Edelstein (Likud) said, “We paid for our independence with our lives. And yet, the torch of Hebrew freedom has been passed on from generation to generation. It has never gone out, and it [never will]."

In his speech, Speaker Edelstein pledged that “we are committed to doing all that is necessary to bring back the captives and missing soldiers."

“A month ago we brought Sergeant First Class Zechariah Baumel, of blessed memory, [back to Israel] for burial. By his side was the tzitzit which enveloped him all these years. In Parashat Tzitzit in the Book of Numbers, it is said 'Lema'an tizkeru' (so that you will remember). So that you will remember the shining faces of our sons and daughters, the 23,741 who [were killed] in Israel's wars. So that you will remember the names of the captives and missing soldiers from all the eras and all the wars; [so that you will remember] the commitment to do all that is necessary so that the promise to bring them back to us will never be broken."       

Prime Minister MK Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud) referred to the four Israelis killed during the latest round of fighting between Israel and Hamas earlier this week: "We send our deepest condolences to their families; every victim tears at our heartstrings. Who, more than us, knows this? The pain and longing don't go away.

"Often, upon hearing the bitter news, relatives of those killed tell me that they need to learn how to breathe again. We do not hesitate to fight, we know that readiness to fight is the guarantee of our fate… We owe our survival to those who fell in battle," Prime Minister Netanyahu added.

In his speech, Prime Minister Netanyahu pledged to bring home the Israelis held captive behind enemy lines and the bodies of IDF soldiers being held by Hamas, "just as we brought Zechariah Baumel home."