Freedom secured through sacrifice

Each year, two days of remembrance fall within close proximity to one another: Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, and Anzac Day, Australia’s national day of commemoration.

They emerge from mostly different histories and battlefields, yet the spirit that binds them is unmistakably similar. Both are days when the two nations pause to honour those who paid the ultimate price for freedom, reminding us that independence and security are never guaranteed; they are secured through hard-fought sacrifice.

For me, these two days resonate in an intimately personal way. As someone who is both proudly Australian and Israeli, I carry the histories and identities of both nations deeply within me. This year, I also write with another layer of perspective, as a survivor of the terror attack in Bondi.

In Israel, Yom Hazikaron commemorates soldiers who fell defending the Jewish state and civilians murdered in acts of terror. The day is marked by a haunting siren that brings the entire country to a standstill. Highways freeze, conversations stop, and people stand silently in remembrance and reflection.