President Rivlin
Photo: Alex Kolomoisky
Rivlin commemorates 11th anniversary of Second Lebanon War
At first memorial ceremony to take place at the National Memorial Hall in Mount Herzl, bereaved families mark 11th anniversary of the 2006 34-day military conflict in against Hezbollah; 'Should another war be imposed on us, we will vigorously defend our lives, our independence and our citizens' says President Rivlin.
The memorial ceremony marking the 11th anniversary of the Second Lebanon War took place on Monday evening at the National Memorial Hall for Israel's Fallen Soldiers on Mount Herzl, making it the first time that the memorial ceremony was held at the site, which was inaugurated on the last Memorial Day.
Among the guests were bereaved families, President Reuven Rivlin, Deputy Speaker of the Knesset MK Bezalel Smotrich, MK Tzipi Livni (Hatnuah), Supreme Court Justice Yoram Danziger and Deputy Minister of Defense Eli Ben-Dahan.
L to R: Livni, Smotrich, Rivlin, Danziger, Ben-Dahan (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)
In his speech at the ceremony, President Rivlin said that "in this war, too, Israeli civil society was revealed in full force. Our soldiers displayed tremendous courage and determination, with endless devotion to their friends on the ground and with an endless commitment to the family, home, and community they left behind.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)
"But in this war, warning signs flashed before our eyes: the importance of training, the danger of erosion in preparedness for war when there is a long and continuous struggle against terrorism, and the danger of missing combat equipment and weapons."
Bereaved families (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)
The president also added, "The war for our home brought quiet to the northern communities" before warning that we must not mistake it for a resolution, as "the threat is still great."
"Our goal, as always, is to achieve (regional) quiet. But we have red lines, and if another war is imposed on us, we will vigorously defend our lives, our independence and our citizens," Rivlin concluded.
