A video published yesterday by Hatzel on social media sparked outrage, showing Arab children tearing down memorial stickers honoring fallen IDF soldiers for an extended period while waiting at a train station. An IDF soldier filmed the incident from the train he was riding. According to the footage, other passengers at the station did not intervene in what was happening.
The video shows the children removing the stickers. The soldier, who, according to information provided by Hatzel, lost friends during his service, remained helpless. The footage drew widespread reactions online, with users condemning the act and the fact that none of those present stopped it.
On every street in Israel—on poles, bus stops, benches, lampposts, and train stations across the country—memorial stickers can be found honoring IDF soldiers who have fallen. The stickers, which include photos of the fallen, have become one of the ways to memorialize them in public spaces. Alongside the photos, quotes they said during their lives sometimes appear, expressing their personalities, values, and the personal stories they left behind.