Monument to Yishuv Paratroopers Inaugurated in Prague
A monument commemorating Yishuv paratroopers was unveiled in Prague during a moving ceremony. The event was attended by senior Czech and Israeli officials, including the local Chief of Staff and the Police Commissioner.
A moving ceremony was held in Prague to inaugurate a monument commemorating the fighters of the Yishuv paratroopers. Many senior officials from the country, known for its positive attitude toward Israel and the Jewish community, attended the event. Among those present were the local Chief of Staff and the Police Commissioner, along with the Israeli Ambassador and senior officials from Israel's Ministries of Economy and Defense.
The monument honors Rafael Reiss and Haviva Reick, Yishuv paratroopers who fell on the territory of Czechoslovakia during World War II. Their story is one of inspiring heroism: after living pioneering lives, they volunteered for a special unit of the British Army and were sent to Europe in the midst of the war. The fighters established contact with partisan movements and assisted in the fighting until they were captured and executed.
The establishment of the monument embodies the deep mutual respect between Israel and the Czech Republic. The ceremony received coverage in the local media, and the Prague municipality granted the Jewish heroes a place of honor on its territory.
Dor Ben-Ari ("Dor BeTzvaim"), one of the initiators of the monument, shared the behind-the-scenes details with C14:
"I had the privilege of inaugurating in Prague a Zionist monument that I initiated in cooperation with the Israeli Embassy in the Czech Republic and with the assistance of the Ministry of Defense. I initiated the monument based on my own research. For me, this is a particularly moving day, in which I had the privilege of contributing my part as a guide and historian to strengthening the bond between the Czech Republic and Israel, and also to fulfill the sacred commandment 'and we shall remember them all'."
