Israeli military insists on removing deceased soldier's Christian headstone
Officials assert that the religious symbol on the gravestone is offensive to the families of Jewish soldiers buried in the vicinity. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Officials have stated that the display of a cross in the cemetery is offensive to the relatives of Jewish troops interred nearby.
The Israel Defense Forces has threatened to relocate a fallen Christian soldier unless his family agrees to remove a cross from his gravestone, according to his relatives’ comments to local media. David Bogdanovsky, who emigrated to Israel from Ukraine in 2014, was killed by an anti-tank rocket in Gaza last December.
Bogdanovsky’s family shared on Monday that they received a letter from the Defense Ministry demanding the removal of the cross or facing the reinterment of the staff sergeant’s remains outside the Haifa military cemetery.
“By law, it is not permissible to place a cross or any other religious marker on a military headstone,” the ministry stated. The letter reportedly referenced a ruling from the IDF’s chief rabbi indicating that the presence of a cross violates the sanctity of the Jewish cemetery.
Military officials also reportedly mentioned that they had received complaints from “families whose loved ones are buried nearby [and] who claim that the cross hurts their feelings and their ability to pray.”
Bogdanovsky’s mother recounted to Ynet that during a visit to her son’s grave earlier this month, she found his gravestone covered in black cloth.
“I don’t have words to describe the humiliation I felt,” she told reporters.
“I thought that my David, who gave his life to the country, who loved the country with all his heart… is no different than any of the other guys, [and] is not a second-class citizen. I stood there and cried with anger, frustration, and disbelief,” she recalled.
In a Facebook post, the soldier’s mother emphasized that her late son’s faith was an “integral part” of his identity. She expressed astonishment at her son being singled out, pointing out that there are other graves featuring crosses in the cemetery.
In Israel, while graveyards are generally segregated by religion, a special law permits non-Jewish service members to be buried alongside their Jewish comrades in military cemeteries.
In late 2023, Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics estimated that Christians made up 1.9% of the population.
Israel initiated its military operation in Gaza following a deadly incursion by Hamas militants into Israeli territory in October 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,100 deaths and over 200 hostages taken. Health authorities in the Palestinian enclave reported that a year of intense Israeli aerial bombings and a ground offensive have resulted in nearly 42,000 fatalities in Gaza.
Mark B Thomas contributed to this report for TROIB News
The Israel Defense Forces has threatened to relocate a fallen Christian soldier unless his family agrees to remove a cross from his gravestone, according to his relatives’ comments to local media. David Bogdanovsky, who emigrated to Israel from Ukraine in 2014, was killed by an anti-tank rocket in Gaza last December.
Bogdanovsky’s family shared on Monday that they received a letter from the Defense Ministry demanding the removal of the cross or facing the reinterment of the staff sergeant’s remains outside the Haifa military cemetery.
“By law, it is not permissible to place a cross or any other religious marker on a military headstone,” the ministry stated. The letter reportedly referenced a ruling from the IDF’s chief rabbi indicating that the presence of a cross violates the sanctity of the Jewish cemetery.
Military officials also reportedly mentioned that they had received complaints from “families whose loved ones are buried nearby [and] who claim that the cross hurts their feelings and their ability to pray.”
Bogdanovsky’s mother recounted to Ynet that during a visit to her son’s grave earlier this month, she found his gravestone covered in black cloth.
“I don’t have words to describe the humiliation I felt,” she told reporters.
“I thought that my David, who gave his life to the country, who loved the country with all his heart… is no different than any of the other guys, [and] is not a second-class citizen. I stood there and cried with anger, frustration, and disbelief,” she recalled.
In a Facebook post, the soldier’s mother emphasized that her late son’s faith was an “integral part” of his identity. She expressed astonishment at her son being singled out, pointing out that there are other graves featuring crosses in the cemetery.
In Israel, while graveyards are generally segregated by religion, a special law permits non-Jewish service members to be buried alongside their Jewish comrades in military cemeteries.
In late 2023, Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics estimated that Christians made up 1.9% of the population.
Israel initiated its military operation in Gaza following a deadly incursion by Hamas militants into Israeli territory in October 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,100 deaths and over 200 hostages taken. Health authorities in the Palestinian enclave reported that a year of intense Israeli aerial bombings and a ground offensive have resulted in nearly 42,000 fatalities in Gaza.
Mark B Thomas contributed to this report for TROIB News
