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'We won't rest.' Ashkenazi at academy
Photo: Ido Erez

IDF chief: Next wars will not be easier

Ashkenazi tells military academy cadets delegitimization of Israel around the world unjustified because 'our army, more than any other, protects civilians not involved in fighting'

"Whenever peace talks are conducted, there are those who wish to sabotage them," IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi said Wednesday.

 

Speaking to hundreds of staffers and cadets at the military yeshiva academy of Bnei David in the West Bank settlement of Eli, Ashkenazi said the security establishment has identified a surge in terror activity originating in Gaza, adding, "I don’t expect the attempts to hurt us to end anytime soon."

 

Addressing the recent shooting attack near Hebron, which claimed the lives of four Israelis, Ashkenazi said, "We will not rest until we get our hands on the perpetrators."

 

Asked about Israel's status within the international community following Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, the army chief said, "There is a phenomenon of delegitimization of the State both in Israel and abroad. This trend is unjustified because the IDF, more than any other army in the world, makes every effort to protect civilians who are not involved in the fighting.

 

"The next wars will not be easier, and we will have to better explain our side of the story. However, we cannot be paralyzed because of our image in the media. It is Hamas that chooses to fight in residential areas, not us," he told the cadets.

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 09.15.10, 20:33
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