On 04 May 2023, Ambassador Cecilia Attard-Pirotta, together with First Secretary at the Embassy Mr Charles Calleja, paid a visit to the Haifa Military Cemetery to pay their respects to George Beurling, a World War II hero who made significant contributions to the war effort. The Ambassador was also accompanied by Michael Lazarus, a historian and former navy man, who has researched extensively about the contribution of George Beurling to the war effort, and Beurling’s connection to the Israeli Military.
George Beurling, who was known as the “Falcon of Malta,” was a Canadian fighter pilot who fought in the skies above Malta during the Second World War. He is credited with shooting down over 30 enemy aircraft, making him one of the top Allied aces of the war. After the war, Beurling was recruited to serve in the newly formed Israeli Air Force before tragically losing his life in a flying accident in Italy in 1948. His remains were later transferred to the Haifa Military Cemetery in Israel, where he rests today. The visit by the Embassy served also to remember the sacrifices made by brave men and women who fought to defend freedom and democracy during one of the darkest periods in human history