Defense Minister Galant spoke this evening (Th) at a rally commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War of the Armored Corps: "Anyone who challenges the status of the Declaration of Independence damages the moral pillar of the State of Israel."
The Minister of Defense began by describing the intelligence received about the actions of the enemy's armies and the leadership's choice to bury their heads in the sand: "Thus, a day before the war, in a 9-page document the arrogant and wrong concept - the ``Conception.'' At noon on Yom Kippur, 1973, in a planned and coordinated attack, Arab armies invaded the State of Israel."
Gallant continued: "IDF fighters found themselves fighting, few against many, on the front of the Golan Heights and in Sinai on land, in the air and at sea. It was the fighting spirit, determination, and bravery of the fighters and field commanders that made it possible to contain the enemy forces."
Gallant: "The lessons of the war are present and burned in our lives"
"Fifty years have passed," Gallant concluded, "but the lessons of the war are still present and burned into our actions. The struggle for our lives here, in this country, is not over, the State of Israel and the security system at its head, require constant military, security, and national preparedness, we must do whatever is necessary to ensure that once again We will not be surprised, it is my duty and responsibility as the Minister of Defense to ensure in every way that the IDF is ready and prepared for any scenario and any challenge."
Gallant turned to the armored soldiers and said: "There is one clear answer, it was true then fifty years ago and it is true for us today as well, the ability to unite out of responsibility for our destiny. "Precisely when it seemed that there was nothing left to hold on to, in hours of great pain and terrible brokenness, we held on as a people In the best interest of the state, in the flag, in the symbol and in the declaration of independence - this is the declaration that constitutes the opening chapter of the unwritten constitution of a state without a constitution.'
"The Declaration of Independence embodies the foundations on which the state was built and exists"
The Minister of Defense referred to the Declaration of Independence and the debate on its validity: "Even today, the Declaration of Independence embodies the foundations on which the State of Israel was built and exists, it is a Jewish state, a democratic state, and it has equal rights for all its citizens. Gallant concluded: "Commanders and subordinates, it is a great privilege for me to be here today , in the role of Minister of Defense of the State of Israel, to salute and thank you, for hours and days that will forever be remembered in our history as a nation.
The chapters you wrote in our days were written with the blood and courage of the warriors. They will be remembered as an episode of supreme heroism, and of faith in our most important principles as a people and as a nation. Thank you for sticking to the mission, for the courage, for the evils, thank you for the inspiration and the example you are for the commanders of the armor and its soldiers today."