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The activities of the Memorial Division of the Israel Ministry of Defense include the erection and upkeep of military monuments. In 1967 the third memorial was erected in memory of those who broke the siege of Jerusalem in 1948, 15 kilometers from the Holy City, opposite the Sho'evah (Saris) pumping station.
The memorial has six sloping sections, some of which point aloft like arrows while the others thrust beseechingly forward. All face toward Jerusalem as if in aspiration and longing toward the city.
Built into the living rock of the hillside, it is constructed of rust-proof metal, the bright color of which seems to make the arrows lighter, giving a feeling of movement and energy.
The illumination blends the monument with the landscape so that it appears to be part of the hillside and, from a distance, a natural outgrowth.
The hard, bright metal which reflects the light of the sun and moon is meant to symbolize the spirit of the young men and women who broke through to Jerusalem.
The memorial was unveiled by the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense on March 15, 1967. It was designed by the sculptress Noemi Hanreck, of Jerusalem.
