Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke today (Wednesday) at the state memorial ceremony for fallen soldiers of the Second Lebanon War at Mount Herzl. Opening his remarks, the prime minister addressed bereaved families and expressed deep appreciation for the courage of the fallen. Netanyahu recalled the moving story of Major Roi Klein, who threw himself on a grenade during the Battle of Bint Jbeil and saved his soldiers, noting that Klein’s son recently enlisted as a combat soldier in the Golani Brigade and continues his heroic father’s legacy.
The prime minister addressed the current northern campaign, the “War of Revival,” detailing the tremendous achievements of Israeli forces against the Hezbollah terror organization. Netanyahu said that since the war began, Israeli forces have eliminated over 9,000 terrorists, including roughly 3,500 since the start of Operation “Lion’s Roar.” He emphasized that the vast majority of the enemy’s 150,000 missiles and rockets have been destroyed, the Beaufort fortress has been captured, and a wide buffer zone created: “The Gaza envelope is now inside Gaza. The Lebanon envelope is now inside Lebanon. This is a critical lesson.”
Netanyahu also addressed the recent diplomatic breakthrough with the signing of the understanding agreement with the Lebanese government, brokered by the United States. The prime minister clarified that the agreement severs the Lebanese arena from Iran and recognizes Israel’s right to maintain the buffer zone in southern Lebanon as long as needed. Closing his speech, Netanyahu read the words of Master Sergeant Keren Tendler, the first female flight mechanic, who fell in the Second Lebanon War: “God, take care of us and our country, bring peace in our heights, bestow blessing on all our land, please protect us and those who fight.”