At
an annual ceremony honoring fallen soldiers, Minister of Defense Moshe
Ya’alon and Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Benny Gantz
discussed the situation in the Middle East and Syria, and the IDF’s duty
to protect the State of Israel.
“The
Middle East has been going through a historic upheaval these past few
years where waves of armed and dangerous terror groups have come into
the picture, posing many challenges,” said Minister of Defense Moshe
Ya’alon. “However there hasn't been a better expression of the dangers
of extremism, from the south to the north, than the pictures that were
broadcast last week from Syria, where innocent civilians are being slaughtered without any intervention from Bashar al-Assad’s regime."
In
reference to the use of chemical weapons, Ya’alon said: “I am sure that
every person is shocked by these scenes of children dying in
excruciating pain as a result of Assad’s forces using, and not for the
first time, chemical weapons to kill. Today, the civilized world
understands the power that he has. This axis of evil begins in Tehran,
goes through Damascus and is based in Beirut. Crimes against humanity are its very nature.”
Ya’alon
continued to discuss the threats facing Israel. “We are aware of the
threats developing before our very eyes in the Middle East and we hear
all of the threats being voiced toward the State of Israel, but we are
not getting involved in the bloody conflict going on in Syria and other
conflicts in the Middle East,” Ya’alon emphasized. “In the face of these
threats, we are acting responsibly and considerately but we are also
saying loud and clear: whoever dares to test us will face the might of
the IDF.”
IDF Chief of the General Staff,
Lieutenant General Benny Gantz, said that the IDF is committed to the
security of Israeli civilians. “Now more than ever, our defenses are
fortified. The nations of the world have a moral and ethical obligation
to stand against the hideous crimes being committed against our innocent
neighbors right across the border,” Lt. Gen. Gantz emphasized.
"We
will not fan the winds of war, not within our borders or around us, but
we will exercise the unshakable duty to protect the State of Israel
from threats surrounding if needed,” he said. “Those who seek to harm us
will do so in a way that is stronger and more aggressive than ever. Our
enemies know that we are ready to defend our citizens in every way,
against every threat and in every scenario possible.”
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