A special ceremony was held Sunday to commemorate the 48th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War. Officials and bereaved families gathered at Jerusalem's Mount Herzl to remember the victims of one of the nation's deadliest wars.
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"Something within us changed 48 years ago," Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in his address. "The Yom Kippur War proved how dangerous complacency and arrogance can be. It taught us a lesson in humility, but also the importance of being prepared and organized.
"The heavy toll of the war was unbearable … But what many perceived as a failure, I see as a victory, for the difficult challenge of losing one's lofty status, but gaining victory nevertheless, both on the Syrian and Egyptian fronts, is remarkable."
Bennett also referred to the capture of the last two of the six Palestinian fugitives that occurred earlier in the day. "The escape itself reflected a serious intelligence, operational and systematic problem," he said, but praised how the forces mobilized and came together quickly to apprehend the escapees.
President Isaac Herzog also gave an address at the ceremony.
"The Yom Kippur war was a national event that taught us about inflexibility and arrogance. We must do our utmost so that a surprise like that does not happen again – we must always be prepared for war as well as never miss an opportunity for peace.
"Besides being vigilant, politically and security-wise, we must also learn the lessons on an internal level, within Israel, of unity and national resilience. We must stand up to polarization and rifts in Israeli society. To unite, come together, make connections and prevents division – that is the best and only way to deal with internal and external threats."
Addressing the bereaved families, Defense Minister Benny Gantz said: "Every day you remember their last sentences, etched in your heart, the hug, the last meeting. We must remember the fallen, and remind ourselves that the responsibility to make sure their deaths were not in vain rests on us."
"We owe the fallen our existence today, in a prosperous and strong country. It has been 48 years, but the pain continues and we miss them no less. These were Israelis from across the country who came together on the holy day to stand up to the enemy. The victory came about, first and foremost, thanks to the commanders and the soldiers on the battlefield."
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