RSS
More Americans Should Take a Lesson From Israel and Find True Purpose on Memorial Day
Lt. Gen. Enzo Vecciarelli, chief of staff of the Italian Air Force, places a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, Feb. 13, 2017, in Arlington, Va. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/U.S. Army photo by Rachel Larue/Arlington National Cemetery/released.
As we prepare to mark Memorial Day, many Americans are looking forward to barbecues and sales. “To Americans, Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial beginning of summer,” reads a description of the day posted on the websites of US embassies around the world.
That description goes on to say, “But at its heart, Memorial Day is a day when Americans reflect on the sacrifice of those who have given their lives in military service.”
The truth, however, is this latter framing of Memorial Day is mainly relegated to military families and towns that are home to military bases. For most others, remembering those who lost their lives for our country is not more than an afterthought.
For years, as an American, I admit that I almost always didn’t give this a second thought. It was just the way it was. Most major or existential military conflicts happened far away (not a few hours from home) and decades in the past, and even the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan only required a tiny portion of Americans to serve and fight — meaning few have a personal connection to loss or even to military service, or are acutely conscious of its importance.
However, as an American who now lives in Israel, my perspective on Memorial Day, and how we mark it in the United States has shifted dramatically— and not only due to my personal stakes and tragic losses in Israel’s current war. My son is a soldier in the IDF — as are thousands of the students and alumni from the network of educational institutions that I oversee. Sadly, since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023, we have lost 20 alumni and 38 first-degree relatives of our students and faculty, including many men with wives and families who were serving reserve duty.
This personal connection to service and loss is not unique. Because Israel is a country of only about 10 million people, military service is a requirement for much of the population — and especially due to the ongoing war, most people know someone who has been killed in service to the country.
But putting aside the aspect of personal connection, the day is monumental because of the solemn way Israel marks it; even visitors feel the emotions of the day. Shops and restaurants are closed. Names of the dead are read aloud in public places for hours on end, and at two different points, sirens ring out across the country, and everyone comes to a stop to remember the fallen.
The day is heavy and difficult, but it is also infused with meaning. The knowledge that so many have died — whether recently or decades ago — so that life can continue, is motivating, helping people recognize their talents, opportunities, and blessings. There is also a communal aspect of the day, with the awareness that these sacrifices affect everyone’s ability to live safely and securely, helping create bonds in society, and reducing loneliness in general.
It is this feeling of community and having people they can count on that — year after year — leads to Israel being ranked high in the global happiness index, despite the difficulty of daily life.
This meaning, purpose, and communal aspect of the day is something that we can all learn from, especially in the US, where many suffer from lack of purpose, and loneliness is considered a public health emergency.
Leaders, communities, schools, and even individual families in the US should consider taking small steps to help bring back meaning to Memorial Day.
This can, of course, be done through memorial ceremonies or learning more about the fallen in schools. But it would be most effective if such efforts met most of the public where they will be on Memorial Day — at malls, parks, and on the road to take advantage of the day off from work. Holding a moment of silence or hanging up posters with stories and photos of the fallen would go a long way in reminding people about the true purpose of the day.
Being more aware of these sacrifices could, in turn, be the reminder that many Americans need to appreciate our opportunities despite the clear challenges in our society. It could also be a reminder that we as individuals are not alone, giving us the strength to do our best and continue improving our own lives along with our communities and country. This, after all, is why more than 600,000 Americans have paid the ultimate price since World War I. We must remember that — at the very least on Memorial Day.
Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Brander is the President of Ohr Torah Stone, an international network of 32 religious educational, leadership, and social action programs including the Ohr Torah Interfaith Center. He was previously Vice President of Yeshiva University.
The post More Americans Should Take a Lesson From Israel and Find True Purpose on Memorial Day first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Israel to Send Delegation to Qatar for Gaza Ceasefire Talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem, Sept. 2, 2024. Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/Pool via REUTERS
Israel has decided to send a delegation to Qatar for talks on a possible Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, an Israeli official said, reviving hopes of a breakthrough in negotiations to end the almost 21-month war.
Palestinian group Hamas said on Friday it had responded to a US-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal in a “positive spirit,” a few days after US President Donald Trump said Israel had agreed “to the necessary conditions to finalize” a 60-day truce.
The Israeli negotiation delegation will fly to Qatar on Sunday, the Israeli official, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters.
But in a sign of the potential challenges still facing the two sides, a Palestinian official from a militant group allied with Hamas said concerns remained over humanitarian aid, passage through the Rafah crossing in southern Israel to Egypt and clarity over a timetable for Israeli troop withdrawals.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is due to meet Trump in Washington on Monday, has yet to comment on Trump’s announcement, and in their public statements Hamas and Israel remain far apart.
Netanyahu has repeatedly said Hamas must be disarmed, a position the terrorist group, which is thought to be holding 20 living hostages, has so far refused to discuss.
Israeli media said on Friday that Israel had received and was reviewing Hamas’ response to the ceasefire proposal.
The post Israel to Send Delegation to Qatar for Gaza Ceasefire Talks first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Tucker Carlson Says to Air Interview with President of Iran
Tucker Carlson speaks on July 18, 2024 during the final day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photo: Jasper Colt-USA TODAY via Reuters Connect
US conservative talk show host Tucker Carlson said in an online post on Saturday that he had conducted an interview with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, which would air in the next day or two.
Carlson said the interview was conducted remotely through a translator, and would be published as soon as it was edited, which “should be in a day or two.”
Carlson said he had stuck to simple questions in the interview, such as, “What is your goal? Do you seek war with the United States? Do you seek war with Israel?”
“There are all kinds of questions that I didn’t ask the president of Iran, particularly questions to which I knew I could get an not get an honest answer, such as, ‘was your nuclear program totally disabled by the bombing campaign by the US government a week and a half ago?’” he said.
Carlson also said he had made a third request in the past several months to interview Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will be visiting Washington next week for talks with US President Donald Trump.
Trump said on Friday he would discuss Iran with Netanyahu at the White House on Monday.
Trump said he believed Tehran’s nuclear program had been set back permanently by recent US strikes that followed Israel’s attacks on the country last month, although Iran could restart it at a different location.
Trump also said Iran had not agreed to inspections of its nuclear program or to give up enriching uranium. He said he would not allow Tehran to resume its nuclear program, adding that Iran did want to meet with him.
Pezeshkian said last month Iran does not intend to develop nuclear weapons but will pursue its right to nuclear energy and research.
The post Tucker Carlson Says to Air Interview with President of Iran first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Hostage Families Reject Partial Gaza Seal, Demand Release of All Hostages
Demonstrators hold signs and pictures of hostages, as relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages kidnapped during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas protest demanding the release of all hostages in Tel Aviv, Israel, Feb. 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Itai Ron
i24 News – As Israeli leaders weigh the contours of a possible partial ceasefire deal with Hamas, the families of the 50 hostages still held in Gaza issued an impassioned public statement this weekend, condemning any agreement that would return only some of the abductees.
In a powerful message released Saturday, the Families Forum for the Return of Hostages denounced what they call the “beating system” and “cruel selection process,” which, they say, has left families trapped in unbearable uncertainty for 638 days—not knowing whether to hope for reunion or prepare for mourning.
The group warned that a phased or selective deal—rumored to be under discussion—would deepen their suffering and perpetuate injustice. Among the 50 hostages, 22 are believed to be alive, and 28 are presumed dead.
“Every family deserves answers and closure,” the Forum said. “Whether it is a return to embrace or a grave to mourn over—each is sacred.”
They accused the Israeli government of allowing political considerations to prevent a full agreement that could have brought all hostages—living and fallen—home long ago. “It is forbidden to conform to the dictates of Schindler-style lists,” the statement read, invoking a painful historical parallel.
“All of the abductees could have returned for rehabilitation or burial months ago, had the government chosen to act with courage.”
The call for a comprehensive deal comes just as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares for high-stakes talks in Washington and as indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas are expected to resume in Doha within the next 24 hours, according to regional media reports.
Hamas, for its part, issued a statement Friday confirming its readiness to begin immediate negotiations on the implementation of a ceasefire and hostage release framework.
The Forum emphasized that every day in captivity poses a mortal risk to the living hostages, and for the deceased, a danger of being lost forever. “The horror of selection does not spare any of us,” the statement said. “Enough with the separation and categories that deepen the pain of the families.”
In a planned public address near Begin Gate in Tel Aviv, families are gathering Saturday evening to demand that the Israeli government accept a full-release deal—what they describe as the only “moral and Zionist” path forward.
“We will return. We will avenge,” the Forum concluded. “This is the time to complete the mission.”
As of now, the Israeli government has not formally responded to Hamas’s latest statement.
The post Hostage Families Reject Partial Gaza Seal, Demand Release of All Hostages first appeared on Algemeiner.com.