The return of abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit is constantly on Israel's agenda, IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi said Friday. In a meeting with Druze and Bedouin leaders on the occasion of the Eid al-Adha holidays, Ashkenazi said that "vast resources are being invested on this front."
"I'm hopeful that we shall be able to bring Gilad back to his family as soon as possible," the army chief said.
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Ashkenazi's comments follow controversial remarks by Kadima Chairman Tzipi Livni, who spoke about Shalit in an appearance at a Tel Aviv high school.
"We can't always bring our troops home," the foreign minister said during the session. "The thought that I can free Gilad and am not doing it is a horrible thought. We all want Gilad to come back home, but part of the willingness to fight is the understanding that we don't have any other choice. There is always a risk of casualties, and it's not always possible to bring everyone back home."
'Strongest army in the region'
On Friday, Army Chief Ashkenazi added that he has full confidence in the IDF's ability to face any challenge.
"The IDF is the strongest army in the region," he said. "We'll know how to provide security to Israeli citizens in the south, in the north, and anywhere else."
The chief of staff also praised Israel's Druze citizens for joining the IDF en masse.
"Members of the community serve as a model to the rest of the population in Israel," he said, adding the Druze Israelis boast the highest percentage of army enlistment and combat service. Ashkenazi added that in the past year the army decided to promote two Druze officers to the rank of brigadier general.
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