Ya'alon: Ultimately, we must rely on ourselves

Defense minister says outcomes in Syria, Iran remain unknown, but that if Israel's enemies make mistake they will face powerful military.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon 370 (photo credit: Ariel Hermoni, Defense Ministry spokesman)
Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon 370
(photo credit: Ariel Hermoni, Defense Ministry spokesman)
Israel must rely on its own power and deterrence in these uncertain times in the Middle East, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon told a navy cadets graduation course in Haifa on Wednesday.
“With the unending storms to the North and South… questions are harder to solve than ever. We don’t know how the Egyptian revolution will end, and how the Iranian nuclear arms race will be stopped. We don’t yet know how the free world will act in light of the massacre in Syria, and we are following developments responsibly and sound judgement,” Ya’alon added.
Ultimately, he said, Israel must rely on its own power.
“All that we know is that we live in a reality in which instability is the only stable thing, and that we must ensure that we navigate the ship with sturdy and safe hands through the stormy waters of the Middle East,” he stated.
Turning to the navy cadets, Ya’alon added, “Who knows that better than you.”
Now is the time to look at reality with sober eyes, prepare for all eventualities, and not stop “for a moment” the preparations and power-building process in the IDF, he said.
Israel has never sought war and always extended its hand to peace, Ya’alon said, adding that now too, “we hope to see the warships docked safely at their home port. But if our enemies make a mistake and choose to place us in the test of battle, they will find a strong, quality, and deterring military facing them, which relies on magnificent personnel and the best of technology, things that find expression here too.”
“This is a military that will deter and push back war from the land, and if required, will be victorious,” Ya’alon said.