Defense Minister Israel Katz warned today (Sunday) during the state memorial ceremony for the fallen of Operation Kadesh (also known as the 1956 Suez Crisis) at the National Memorial Hall on Mount Herzl that Iran is trying to restart its efforts to obtain nuclear weapons, and made clear that the campaign against it is not over and that Israel will need to continue acting against the threats it poses.
2+“Against Iran, the mission is not yet complete,” Katz declared, warning: “Iran is trying to renew its efforts to obtain nuclear weapons—alongside other serious efforts that put the State of Israel in real danger. We cannot accept these threats.”
The defense minister stressed that Israel will not wait for threats to materialize, and made clear it must preserve its ability to act on its own initiative against its enemies: “The State of Israel is determined today, more than ever, to stand firm on its fate, to prevent the blow before it comes, and to act from a proactive and offensive policy against our enemies.”
2+Katz later addressed the possibility that Israel will be required to take additional security actions, stating: “It is our duty to be prepared for every scenario and to act as necessary to protect Israel’s citizens.”
Alongside the security warnings, the defense minister devoted part of his remarks to internal divisions in Israel, calling on the public to unite ahead of the coming challenges: “It’s permitted to argue and permitted to disagree, but when the security of the state is at stake, we must know how to rise above the disputes. We have one country, one army and a shared fate—and the responsibility to protect them rests on all of us.”
2+Katz emphasized that unity is vital both for strengthening the fighters and for sending a message to Israel’s enemies: “Our fighters and commanders need to know that the entire nation stands behind them. Our enemies need to know that even when we have differences of opinion, against those who threaten our existence we stand together, determined and united.”
He closed his remarks with a call for shared responsibility in light of the missions still facing the security establishment: “This is a time of unity, of responsibility and of mutual solidarity. The missions before us are great—and to meet them we will need all the strength of the IDF and all the resilience of the people.”