Published: 28 April 2023
Last updated: 5 March 2024
High Court overrules Defence Minister; civil crisis causes several incidents during national holidays.
In a sharp rebuke to Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, Israel High Court of Justice ordered him to allow about 150 Palestinians invited to the annual Joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Ceremony to enter Israel and attend the event on Monday.
The ruling was a bright spot for opponents of the government during the national holidays of Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day) and Yom Ha’atzmaut (Independence Day) this week, which were marred by clashes at military cemeteries and protests.
The ruling follows Gallant’s decision earlier this month to block the Palestinians from entering Israel for the joint ceremony, due to what he termed “the complex security situation” in the West Bank.
The court said it “regrets” the fact that Gallant’s decision earlier this month was made in contravention of two previous court rulings from 2018 and 2019 ordering the defence ministers at the time to allow those Palestinians invited to the event, now in its 17th year, to enter Israel.
The ceremony, run by Combatants for Peace and the Parents’ Circle, is designed to bring together Israelis and Palestinians who have lost loved ones in the conflict.
This year, nearly 15,000 participants attended the joint Memorial Day event, but it was again marred by right-wing hecklers.
It has been deeply controversial since its inception, though, particularly among the Israeli public, with critics accusing it of legitimising terrorism and equating Israel’s fallen soldiers with those who attacked them. To Palestinian detractors, the event represents unwanted normalisation with Israel.
Elsewhere, bereaved families heckled and scuffled with government representatives who attended events at military cemeteries, despite a petition from the families requesting they stay away.
