Remembering the Fallen


  • November 11 is known in various countries as Remembrance Day, Armistice Day and Veterans Day.
  • Jerusalem was shaped by the world wars, particularly the First World War.
  • The Levant and Hejaz, (including Palestine) were taken from the Ottoman Empire by the British, who enlisted the help of local Arabs and Zionist Jews.
  • (They also promised both peoples their own autonomy without a clear plan, which, it turns out, has been problematic.)
  • So for November 11th, one does not need to go far to commemorate the day.
  • Jerusalem is home to a well-maintained Commonwealth Cemetery on Mount Scopus. Gaza also has one.
  • Curiously, it was completely sealed off with construction fencing, which we breached to enter (If Israelis need to visit graves on Yom Kippur, why not us?).
  • The cemetery was completely empty, save for a couple of locals enjoying a quiet moment.
  • Via elementary math, we estimated over 2,000 graves and thousands more marked with no known resting place.
  • Still, this is just a small reminder of the human cost of a war that directly claimed 9 million soldiers and 13 million civilians while shaping future conflicts. Lest we forget.
Location: Jerusalem

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