This evening the Day of Remembrance for the Fallen Soldiers of Israel and Victims of Terrorism begins and Israel remembers and honours 23,169 casualties of war and terrorism.
Moshav Almagor, at the northern end of the Sea of Galilee, is the site of two memorials to fallen soldiers and civilians.
On May 2nd 1951 Syrian forces infiltrated the border in the Korazim area, taking over three hills west of the demilitarized zone. Four days of fighting followed and forty-one Israeli soldiers who lost their lives are commemorated at the Tel Motilla memorial.
In November 1961 the Nahal Brigade established a farming community near Tel Motilla which became the civilian Moshav Almagor in 1965. On August 19th 1963, when three members of the Nahal group set out to turn off the irrigation in the nearby vineyards, they were ambushed by Syrian forces. Avinoam Evenstein and Avi Reif were killed and the incident was later condemned by the UN Security Council. A memorial to them and five others – two soldiers and three JNF employees – killed in later incidents is situated at the entrance to the moshav.
May their memories be blessed.