The historic amendment to the headstones of October 7 fallen approved by the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee

The Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee approved an amendment to the military cemetery regulations, allowing bereaved families who lost loved ones in captivity to add on the headstone a note that the fallen soldier was abducted and the date of abduction. The move was led by Ruby Chen, father of Staff Sergeant Itai Chen, and was approved urgently at the request of the Defense Minister, with the aim of completing the replacement before the anniversary of October 7.

The Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, chaired by MK Boaz Bismuth, approved today (Tuesday) an urgent amendment to the military cemetery regulations. The amendment allows bereaved families who lost their loved ones in captivity to add on the uniform headstone slab a note that the fallen soldier was abducted and the exact date of abduction. The decision was made following a determined appeal by bereaved families whose loved ones were abducted and killed in captivity, who sought to incorporate the circumstances of the abduction as part of their commemoration story. The struggle was led by Ruby Chen, father of Staff Sergeant Itai Chen. The Defense Minister urgently appealed to the committee to expedite the approval, in order to allow families to complete the replacement of the slabs on the graves before the anniversary of the October 7 events. The request was examined by the Public Council for the Commemoration of the Soldier, which recommended positively while maintaining the principle of uniformity. The system is preparing to replace the headstone slabs of 20 fallen soldiers of Israel and three additional civilian graves, in full coordination with the families.