“The history of the Shayetet is closely entwined with the history of the State of Israel, just as KKL-JNF is linked to the creation and development of our country.” - Maj. Gen. (res)
Ami Ayalon - former Shayetet commander and former director of the Shabac (Israel Security Agency).
On Friday, October 8, 2021, in the presence of some 400 invited guests, KKL-JNF inaugurated the Shayetet 13 (Israel’s Navy SEALs)
Observation Point on
Mount Carmel in memory of the 85 soldiers who fell during their service in that special maritime force. Amongst the participants were veterans of the unit, family members of fallen soldiers, as well as combatants in uniform who are currently on active duty. It was clear from the outset that those present were all very familiar with one another and were thrilled to be there.
Shayetet 13 is one of the Israeli Defence Force’s most elite units. The identities of those serving are strictly guarded throughout their years of service and in some cases for even longer. As a naval force, Shayetet 13’s main advantage over other special units is the inherent capability of its soldiers to arrive silently at their target via the sea, to carry out their mission, and then to retreat without the need for external extraction.
The KKL-JNF Shayetet 13 Observation Point is the first memorial erected to honor all the fallen members of the unit since the unit was established in 1949 during the war of independence. KKL-JNF and the Atalef Foundation, which is Shayetet 13’s veterans' association, were the driving forces behind the creation of the site. The magnificent location in the KKL-JNF Carmel
Forest , overlooking the Mediterranean and the nearby naval base which is home to the unit, was carefully chosen. At one end of the Observation Point is a large amphitheater designed for outdoor events. 13 large rock pillars have been placed at various points throughout the site. 11 of them have metal plaques bearing the names of the 85 soldiers who have fallen to date.
Former Shayetet commander, Maj. Gen. (res)
Yoav Gallant, who is a Knesset member and former government minister, said that it was very important to create the site. “This is a very appropriate way of remembering those who fell in the line of duty. I knew quite a few of the people whose names are on these stones. We trained together in these hills above our base.”
Maj. Gen. (res) Ami Ayalon, another former Shayetet commander and a former director of the Shabac (Israel Security Agency), said that he is not surprised that KKL-JNF created the Shayetet memorial site. “The history of the Shayetet is closely entwined with the history of the State of Israel, just as KKL-JNF is linked to the creation and development of our country.”
Before the ceremony started, family members of the fallen soldiers stood around the pillars bearing the name of their loved ones.
Uzi and Sima Haviv, the parents of
Dani Haviv z”l, placed flowers alongside the pillar bearing his name. “I am very happy to see that there are small remembrance spots with the names of those who died in specific events rather than one massive memorial board with all the names as we sometimes see, Sima said. “It is very emotional to stand next to the name of the person close to you.”
Batya Ashkenazi Levi , the mother of
Erez Askenazi z”l, who fell in Gaza in 2003, said that everything that memorializes her son is important for her. “I think that KKL_JNF and the Atalef Foundation did a wonderful job here. As a parent of a fallen soldier, it is comforting to know that after I am no longer around Erez’s name will live on in this place.”
The inauguration ceremony took place at the new amphitheater. Shayetet officer Lt. Col.
Carmit Ducan moderated the ceremony and the musical interlude was provided by Israeli performer Raviv Kaner. KKL-JNF’s Israel Fundraising director,
Michael Ben Abu, began the inauguration with the traditional Jewish prayer of Shehecheyanu, which is a blessing to celebrate special occasions. “This was a long and complex project which took over ten years to complete. I must emphasize that such a long process is not characteristic of our work at KKL-JNF, however, the outcome is well worth the effort we put into this project and the long delay. To the bereaved families, I must say that I am very happy that we were able to create the site. All this was made possible due to the generous donation from KKL-JNF France and the estates of Esther Bueno z”l and Regina Leib Shildwach z’l.”
The Head of KKL-JNF Northern Region,
Dr. Omri Boneh, said that the new Shayetet 13 Lookout Point is not only a memorial site. “ Shayetet 13 is one of the most elite units in the IDF and as such it is looked up upon by the country’s youth. I think that in this place the legacy of the Shayetet will have a lot of influence over them and give them the inspiration to follow in the footsteps of these brave warriors.”
Dr .Tal Berman CEO of the Atalef Foundation, told the guests that like all military forces, the IDF is organized hierarchically, but here at the Shayetet Lookout Point, they decided not to follow suit. “We see that even in the military cemeteries the rank of the fallen appears on the gravestones,” he said. “ However we decided that, unlike in the IDF, here in the memorial site there will be no ranks. We decided that bereavement does not separate or differentiate the senior commander from the young warrior or the veteran sailor from the trainee. The feelings of pain, loss, and longing by family and friends are common to all. This Lookout Point preserves the memory of each of the fallen equally.”
Minister of Communications, Knesset Member, Lt. Col.
Yoaz Hendel, who was also a senior officer in Shayetet 13, said that as a government minister he wishes all that we all be worthy of those whose names are inscribed on the rock pillars. “It is in a place like this that one feels the victory of the spirit over matter. My wish is that this spirit will spread, over the Knesset and over the Government, and all over the country, until no one will be able to ignore it.”
Bereaved father Shmulik Iliya father of fallen Shayetet 13 warrior
Itamar Iliya, who was also one of the driving forces behind the creation of the Shayetet 13 Lookout Point, spoke on behalf of the bereaved parents. He named and thanked all those who accompanied him on the path to create the site and then read a poem composed by Archibald Mcleish, an American poet, and writer who served in the First World War. The poem is called The Young Dead Soldiers Do Not Speak.
“They say,We were young. We have died. Remember us.They say,We have done what we couldBut until it is finished it is not done.They say,Our deaths are not ours,They are yours,They will mean what you make them.”
The last person to speak was the current commanding officer of Shayetet 13, known to the public as Colonel
Aleph. After ceremoniously cutting a ribbon to formally inaugurate the site Col. Aleph told the bereaved parents that it was their sons and daughters who helped create the rich legacy that Shayetet 13 has to offer. “They chose to be there and to give everything they could. This Lookout Point is an opportunity for us to teach that legacy by way of their personal stories. We, as soldiers, have an obligation to tell those stories in order to remember them, for you, for us, and especially for those who come after us. Together we will continue to act according to their values, and together we will continue to guard the security of our land.”
KKL-JNF Spokesperson Unit Press Release
After a 10-year planning and implementation process, construction of the Shayetet Observation Point was finally completed on the eve of last year's Rosh Hashanah 5781/2020, but its inauguration, with the planned participation of hundreds of guests, was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Nevertheless, the site remained open to the general public, and many came to visit it over the past year. Now, a year after completion, it was finally inaugurated on Friday, October 8, at a moving ceremony held in accordance with Health Ministry guidelines.
The ceremony was attended by the Shayetet Commander, current soldiers, KKL-JNF Northern Region Director Dr. Omri Boneh, the bereaved families, and the Unit's veterans, including Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel and Knesset Member Yoav Galant.
The Shayetet Observation Point is the first memorial site built for the fallen of the Shayetet 13 Unit. The Observation Point is a wonderful corner of nature in KKL-JNF's
Ofer Forest on Mount Carmel. At the entrance to the Observation Point, on both sides of the Son's Trail, or Shvil HaBanim, you can see 13 limestone monuments, with 11 of them bearing metal plaques engraved with the 85 fallen soldiers’ names. At the far end of the Observation Point stands a viewing platform that overlooks the sea and the coastal strip stretching between Neve Yam and Kibbutz Habonim.
Michael Ben Abu, the Israel Fundraising Director at KKL-JNF, stated in his ceremonial address: "As someone who on behalf of KKL-JNF has accompanied the long and complex process of erecting the Observation Point since the initial appeal to KKL-JNF to assist the Atalef Association [for Shayetet veterans] in locating a central memorial site for the fallen of Shayetet 13, I would like to offer my thanks for having been granted the privilege of reaching this exciting moment. To the bereaved families, let me say only that I am happy that our efforts were successful, and that with the help of KKL-JNF, a central memorial site has been built to commemorate your loved ones at this beautiful observation point overlooking the base of the unit."