Speaking on Monday at the official memorial ceremony for the fallen of Operation Kadesh, marking 63 years since the Sinai War, President Rivlin said: “Whoever thinks that we have forgotten how to deal with ongoing low-intensity conflict will have to deal with the resilience of Israel’s citizens again and again.”
“The Sinai war was the young State of Israel’s first war after the War of Independence, and the IDF’s first war as a regular army,” the president said. “It was a war that changed the rules of the game, strengthening Israel’s international standing and forming the image of the IDF as a strong army able to strike our enemies hard and to seek victory. 63 years have passed since then. The State of Israel has developed, strengthened, grown and moved forward in many fields. We have signed peace treaties with our neighbors in Egypt and Jordan. The Middle East has also changed beyond recognition. Our enemies know that Israel is an established fact, but their desire to harm us remains unchanged.”
The president spoke about the attacks on the south of Israel two weeks ago, saying, “In the last month alone, we saw savage attacks on the daily lives of Israeli citizens. Children and parents were forced to take shelter in their homes, in secure rooms. Kindergartens and schools were closed. Islamic Jihad, Hamas and Iran’s proxies are trying to drag us into ongoing bloody conflict, to sow terror and fear among all citizens of the State of Israel.”
“Whoever thinks that we have forgotten how to deal with ongoing low-intensity conflict will have to deal with the resilience of Israel’s citizens again and again. They face a resolute Israeli home front and the total commitment of our soldiers, the Guardians of Israel, to protect the people of Israel wherever required. Whoever tries to break our spirit will fail. And whoever thinks we are tired and weak is wrong. Those who seek our harm failed then, 63 years ago, and they will fail now. We will not rest until quiet returns and our neighbors understand we can live together, that it is better to live in peace,” the President said.