On a solemn morning atop Mount Herzl, President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defense Minister Yoav Galant came together to participate in the state memorial ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War. Against the backdrop of a nation divided by disputes and marred by recent riots during Yom Kippur prayers in Tel Aviv, President Herzog delivered a sobering message, emphasizing that "the intra-Israeli threat is the most dangerous of all." In contrast, Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed confidence that, as during the Yom Kippur War, the Israeli public would unite when faced with a moment of truth.
President Herzog began his address by reflecting on the magnitude of the Yom Kippur War, a conflict of historic proportions not witnessed since Israel's War of Independence. He remarked, "One siren, one alarm, amidst the Holy of Holies, shattered our preconceptions and compelled an entire nation to set aside differences and unite in defense against those who sought its destruction. We emerged victorious thanks to the valor of our commanders, officers, and soldiers, who, with their own bodies, halted the advancing enemy, thereby safeguarding the nation and bequeathing us an enduring legacy: the eternity of Israel and its unity."
נשיא המדינה, יצחק הרצוג התייחס בטקס האזכרה הממלכתי לחללי מלחמת יום הכיפורים לסערת התפילה בהפרדה: "מי ששופכים שמן לתוך המדורה הזאת מאיימים באופן ממשי על הלכידות הישראלית"@VeredPelman pic.twitter.com/FrToEIEj3d
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) September 26, 2023
However, Herzog did not shy away from addressing the present. He cautioned, "Especially at this juncture, we must draw lessons and recognize that the internal threat within Israel is the most pressing and perilous of all. Just yesterday, on this Holy Day, exactly 50 years after the outbreak of the war, we witnessed, in the very heart of our first Hebrew city, a distressing and painful example of how internal strife among us escalates and exacerbates."
He posed a vital question: "How have we arrived at this dire situation? How is it that, half a century after the bitter war, brothers and sisters now stand on opposing sides of the barricades? Those who fuel this internal discord pose a genuine threat to the cohesion of Israel. This must cease here and now. Division, polarization, and ceaseless contention all imperil Israeli society and the nation's security. Israel's adversaries repeatedly exploit our internal crisis, viewing it as a precursor to the disintegration of our nation. It is incumbent upon us to regain our composure, lower our voices, engage in dialogue, seek agreement, and bring an end to the internal turmoil through peaceful means."
Fun fact: Yoni Netanyahu (along with members of his commando unit) rescued this tank commander , Yossi Ben Hanan, behind enemy lines during the Yom Kippur War. pic.twitter.com/1zCxSVyCJn
— Shoshana🦁🌞 (@Shoshana51728) September 24, 2023
Following President Herzog's impassioned address, Prime Minister Netanyahu took to the podium to echo similar sentiments of unity. He shared a poignant memory, saying, "My late brother, Yoni Netanyahu, wrote to our parents at the war's conclusion about the remarkable success we achieved. It was the people who triumphed. The people, regardless of their religious or secular beliefs, political affiliations, or ethnicity, demonstrated that our commonalities far outweigh our differences. I remain confident that even today, if the specter of war were to loom over us, our shared values would prevail over our divisions. In times of crisis, we all recognize that we are one people, with one army, in one country. Our shared history, and I have no doubt, our shared future, bind us all together."
