Outgoing Defense Minister Yoav Galant held a concluding meeting with the General Staff Forum and urged them: "When the winds are turbulent, when darkness envelops, cling to the moral compass, the loyalty of the IDF is to the State of Israel and its laws."
At the beginning of the conversation with the members of the General Staff Forum, Gallant said: "This forum carries the burden of security on its shoulders and has led the war in the past year in a very impressive manner." This is a very difficult war, a very prolonged one, and a very just one, and I think you are doing it in an impressive manner - a seven-front war from Tehran to Gaza.
"I saw you in the difficult hours of failure on October 7th, and I also saw you in the moments of recovery, and I saw the IDF achieving unprecedented accomplishments, and the security system achieving unprecedented accomplishments like never before." "We have changed the balance of power in the Middle East – from Gaza to Tehran, from Khodida to Dahieh, in all these places things have happened that have never happened before, and we have pushed our enemies back decades."
According to him, "Even in the hardest hours, I saw in the security system, especially in the IDF, the wall of steel and the iron fist that protect and guard the State of Israel." The goal has always been the security of Israel, it must not be otherwise, it has never been otherwise, and therefore I have never consented and will never be a partner in a situation that harms the IDF or the other security organizations, from the soldiers in the field to the Chief of Staff, and certainly anyone in between. I think it's a reprehensible phenomenon, we need to eradicate it.
"When the winds are raging, when darkness envelops, cling to the moral compass."
The outgoing minister addressed the criticism directed at the army and sought to bolster the Chief of Staff and the commanders: "The IDF is an excellent army, but it is not a perfect army, and in this regard, when the winds are turbulent, when darkness envelops, cling to the moral compass, the ethical compass, and do not let anyone steer you away from this path. I see this as a central issue. The loyalty of the IDF, its commanders, its officers, and the oath of the recruits from day one, is to the State of Israel and its laws, and the commitment is reflected in the spirit and values of the IDF. To this we are committed, to the cause itself which is greater than any one of us and has been the aspiration of millions of Jews for 2,000 years."
He further added, "We have the protective tool that grants us life – the Israel Defense Forces, we need to safeguard it. I think the security challenges will significantly increase, and the implication is that we will need more resources, the first of which is – we will need more people, and these are people who bear the burden, thousands. We will need to enlist larger segments of Israeli society to be partners in this effort, and I am sure we will succeed because we are at a turning point. And finally, I, together with you, am committed to bringing back the hostages. You are in the practical role, and I will follow you and support you, and of course, support the bereaved families and assist and rehabilitate the injured, the disabled, the victims in every way we can. We must always remember who walked with us and what we are committed to."
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