Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, chief of the general staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), issued a message to soldiers on Wednesday in which he declared: “We are fighting in the name of the sanctity of life.”
The message was distributed to the public via the IDF’s Telegram channel.
It reads, in full (original emphasis):
IDF commanders and soldiers,
We are in the midst of a war. It will be a long war and we will fight it until the end. We are being proactive and fighting the enemy in their territory, striking them in the very place where they worked on their plans and in the very area the evil terrorists came from.
We are advancing in the stages of the war, and operating on the ground inside the enemy’s territory, supported by precise and heavy fire. The activity will continue and intensify according to the stages of the war and its objectives, as defined by the Israeli government.
So far we have inflicted heavy losses on the enemy and damaged terrorist infrastructure. We search for, find a kill those who participated in the murderous massacre against us and those who sent them. We will continue to fight the enemy with great force from the land, air and sea. We will continue to push tirelessly and take advantage of every opportunity to bring the hostages home, through both risky overt and covert efforts, as we have already done. War has a heavy and painful price, but it is necessary. We will continue to hit the enemy as much as needed, until civilians in Israel return to a life of security in their homes and their communities.
All of our enemies know that the Israel Defense Forces will pursue anyone who tries to harm the people of Israel and they will pay a heavy price, sooner or later.
We are fighting in the name of the sanctity of life, against an enemy whose flag represents death and destruction.
We fight as a powerful military, with a sharp moral compass.
We are fighting for the values of justice and morality upon which the country was established, against a terrorist organization that committed vile and horrific war crimes.
We are fighting for our right and the right of future generations to live in safety and prosperity in our homeland.
We fight with the people of Israel behind us. We are fighting the people’s war, the nation’s war and the war for the civilians of Israel. Their spirit beats within us and instills us with hope, a fighting spirit and resolute determination for the future.
I have met many of you in recent weeks. Commanders, soldiers of the ground forces, air force, and navy, in both mandatory and reserve service, in different units, at headquarters and on the home front. I was with you, I saw the preparation and the training, I looked into your eyes and saw that you were ready to fight.
Our spirit is strong. And with this spirit — be sharp, professional in every action, alert to any threat and as prepared as possible for any surprise. Be warriors!
I tell you with confidence — we will fight with the strength of spirit and determination — we will win, and we will guarantee resurrection and new life.
“For we will not turn back, and there is no other way; there is no people who will deviate from their life’s purpose.” – Nathan Alterman, Zemer Haplugot [song]
The eyes of the nation are on us. Go forward with this strength.
Yesterday, the leader of Israel’s Southern Command, General Yaron Finkelman, delivered a radio address to the troops: “We will fight them in the alleys, we will fight them in the tunnels, we will fight them wherever it is necessary.”
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the new biography, Rhoda: ‘Comrade Kadalie, You Are Out of Order’. He is also the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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