The flotilla in memory of the victims of the Dakar submarine - 20 years of locating the remains of the Dakar - coverage of the ceremony in Haifa - 31/5/19

The annual flotilla commemorating the martyrs of the Dakar took place in Haifa today, Friday, 31/5/19, with the participation of many vessels from all over Israel. A modern submarine went out to sea and strangers were placed on it. The ships circled around her. At 10:30 the boat blew its horn and then the wreaths were thrown into the water. The flowers floated in the sea water in an exciting and dignified event that marked 20 years since the day the remains of the submarine were found.

Brigadier General Shlomo (Momo) Cohen, commodore of the Carmel ships, told Lahi Fe:
At 10:30 we held an exciting ceremony in the sea. After the ceremony we left for the competition up to Acre. In Acre, we anchored and organized rubber boats that took the sailors to the Naval Officers School. There we held a ceremony to mark the event and also award prizes to the flotilla winners. At the ceremony there were also representatives of the Navy, representatives of the families and all the sailors.

A production that is a civil-military-urban cooperation:
Momo Cohen Narrator: During the last four months, we organized the arrival of about 80 yachts, which came from all over the country - Tel Aviv, Ashdod, Ashkelon and Acre. By their side today are 20 small sailboats and 20 kayaks.
We publicized the ceremony among the sailing community, prepared a registration in advance, produced shirts and hats in honor of the flotilla. We have been working on the issue for 4 months. We hold separate briefings for each group leader. There are sailing instructions arranged for the flotilla. I and the members of the Dolphin Association established a joint steering committee within the Dolphin Association. This steering committee works together with the municipality of Haifa, the municipality of Acre and the Navy, to produce the event.

personal connection Momo says:
On a personal level, every year I put a lot of effort into producing this event. I have a special connection to the commemoration of the Dakar martyrs, both as a Haifai, as a Navy man and as someone who commanded part of the search operation, on behalf of the Navy.
For me, it was a very honorable and exciting event. I thank all the participants from the bottom of my heart, as well as the Haifa Municipality, the Municipality of Acre, the Zebulon and Hapoel sailing clubs and the School for Naval Officers in Acre. I am very pleased with the participation of the youth who come and harness and sail and get wet with us. This is a great achievement.

Zebo came to honor his friends who perished in the disaster:
Among the participants in the ceremony, there was also a retired colonel, Avraham (Zebu) Ben Zeev. Zebo was a young officer in the Dakar fighter team, for ten months in England and transferred to the Dolphin submarine a few days before the Dakar sailed to Israel, because the Navy managed to acquire, at the last minute, the Dolphin submarine as well and crew members were needed to bring it to Israel from England. Upon learning of the stinger's disappearance, Zebo participated in the search in the stormy seas aboard the Dolphin submarine.

Avraham (Zebu) Ben Zeev, told Lahi Fe:
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the day when the remains of the Dakar submarine were found. This is an event organized by the Carmel boating community in Haifa, for 20 years. I arrived last night at the Navy Museum and told the sailors my personal story about my service aboard the submarine Decker in England, about the search for the submarine and the commemoration held by the State of Israel.
The high-quality audience of the Carmel sailors sat attentively and listened to my moving story, which I am actually passing on to many Israelis throughout Israel. The work of commemoration that I undertook was reflected in yesterday's lecture and also in the sea cruise that took place in Haifa.
Every year, the Navy launches a submarine into the sea every last Friday in May. We (the dolphin association, veterans of the submarine fleet), place bouquets of flowers on board the submarine. The submarine goes out to sea, drops anchor in the Haifa Bay, and then ships, yachts, kayaks, motor boats, of schools and sailors from all over the country arrive. Everyone is walking around the submarine.
At 10:30 the strangers are thrown into the sea. The ships are blowing their horns and everyone is celebrating the day of finding the remains of the submarine Decker.

This year, Haifa Mayor Dr. Einat Kalish Rotem, Mayor of Acre - Shimon Lankeri and Avi Yarom from the community of the Carmel sailors, whose brother was among the divers of the Dakar submarine and perished with them in the disaster, honored us with their presence, on the submarine and threw flowers.

Zebo says: I was very excited during the ceremony. I have been participating in this ceremony for 20 years. This year I was very excited and even more so than the excitement in the previous ceremonies. The throwing of the wreaths from the submarine, in memory of my friends, is very moving, both for me and for the members of the Halalim family, who sailed the flotilla on the ship "Queen of Acre".
When the naval ceremony was over, we went to the Navy Museum with the families. There we visited a real submarine that is in the museum. After that I briefly told them my personal story and we saw a video taken by Tzipi Shahar, whose brother perished in a submarine.

Zebo tells Lehi Fah about his memories in the submarine:
I miss my friends in Dakar. My best friend was the armaments officer, Lieutenant Gideon Segal. Together, we passed the pilots' course. When we got to the submarines, we served together on the Rahab submarine. We were sent together to England to the submarine Decker. We were really good friends. I especially miss the submarine commander, Yaakov Raanan. He was the best and most special commander among the people who commanded me. During that period we studied components and assemblies every day and together we operated the submarine at a very high level.
I really miss being a submarine operator. Every time I visit the submarines, I tell myself that if someone could give an order and accept me in a submarine crew, I would do so immediately and stay in the submarine.

The lecture on the Decker submarine is a great lecture on Zionism, fighting spirit and the brotherhood of a fighting team. This is a lecture that every Israeli would be happy to hear. Readers interested in hearing the fascinating lecture about life in the Decker submarine are invited to contact Zebo by phone:
052-275-3380

The Dakar flotilla in Haifa - the photos