Barak at Mt. Herzl ceremony
Photo: Lior Moshe
Barak to bereaved parents: We will learn from failures
Defense minister speaks before families of soldiers fallen in Second Lebanon War, mentions 'closure' brought by kidnapped soldiers' burial in Israel. 'We owe you ongoing explanations, painful lessons have been learned,' he says
"Combat doctrines and the lessons learned by Israel's leadership are accumulated layer by layer. The significance of collective operational, political, and security experience cannot be underrated when decisions are being made," said Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Monday, during his address to the bereaved families at Mt. Herzl, Jerusalem, in honor of the two-year anniversary of the Second Lebanon War.
"We owe you ongoing explanations, and on all of Israel's fronts the last war brought painful lessons with it, of tough battles and operational failures. We must face these failures head-on without fear, acknowledge them and learn from them," Barak told
the families.
War Over
Ynet reporters
Samir Kuntar freed at Lebanon border Wednesday afternoon; Hizbullah celebrations underway
Barak also mentioned what he called "closure", achieved with the burial of kidnapped soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. "The entire country shed a tear with the families, after two years of uncertainty and painful hope for a miracle that never came. There is now closure for the summer of 2006," he said.
The defense minister commended the soldiers that fought in Lebanon. "As someone who fought and commanded soldiers and as defense minister I am telling everyone – we mustn't underestimate the current generation of combat soldiers. As in all of Israel's battles, so it was in the Second Lebanon War – the mighty and brave-hearted won.
"Soldiers in active service and reserves battled Hizbullah unwearyingly, and doctors and combatants fought to save their fellow soldiers under fire. These warriors fought to the last drops of their strength with braveness of heart and determination, and their ability to withstand the obstacles determined the results of the battles time and time again," Barak said.
'Commemoration not enough'
The bereaved families also toured the memorial sites for the fallen soldiers of the Second Lebanon War. The journey, which was named "Journey of Life", began in Rehovot, at a park named after Staff Sgt. (Res.) Karen Tendler, who was killed in a helicopter crash during the war. They then visited a lookout point named after Staff Sgt. Jonathan Einhorn, and 'Orchard of Eight' in Beit Horon, which commemorates the Golani Brigade troops killed in the battles of Bint Jbil.
"This is a journey of Zionism, memories, and love. We will not be satisfied with the commemoration of our loved ones, and be sure to remind the leaders that sent them of their failures and hastiness," said the father of one fallen soldier.
"The journey is meant for the remembrance of what many desire to forget – the failures. Anyone who expects us, the parents, to stand by and engage only in the commemoration of our boys is mistaken. We won't allow it to become a distant memory to the leaders that sent our sons out, and we will make sure they remember it every year."
