Bereaved families, Defense Minister Ehud Barak,
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi
and one very warmly welcomed Arcadi Gaydamak gathered at the Har Veguy High School in Kibbutz Dafna on Wednesday evening to mark 11 years since the deaths of 73 IDF soldiers who were killed in Israel's
| 11 Years Later |
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| Helicopter disaster monument inaugurated / Yaffa Raziel |
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Eleven years after tragic midair collision that claimed lives of 73 soldiers, monument in their memory finally completed near Kibbutz Dafna |
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deadliest aviation accident in February 1997.
The billionaire Gaydamak recently donated funds for the construction of a monument in the memory of the fallen soldiers, a tribute bereaved parents had long demanded from the Ministry of Defense.
"Lebanon
has claimed a heavy price from us over the years. At present time we are still learning the lessons of the Second Lebanon War.
The IDF must provide suitable protection, both in the name of those who have fallen and to ensure the future," said Ashkenazi in his address.
Monument for the 73 fallen soldiers (Photo: Avihu Shapira)
"This last war has taught us that preparing Israel's defense for the conflicts to come is a mission shared by both the IDF and Israeli society. Only together can we meet the challenges ahead and I am confident in our ability to do so."
Minister Barak said that "of the 18 years of war and struggle in Lebanon, the helicopter disaster will be remembered as one of its greatest tragedies.
"There is no escaping the laying down of lives during war, in sending soldiers to face an enemy and defend the home front. We continue to strive to build Israel's strength ahead of the challenges to come. We will remember your sons and the disaster, which in one moment darkened 73 homes in Israel with grief."
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