Peres commends IDF 7th Brigade

During visit to Golan Heights, president says current military generation is "the best in the state’s history."

By GREER FAY CASHMAN
President Peres shakes hands with 7th Brigade soldiers 370 (photo credit: Mark Neiman/GPO)
President Peres shakes hands with 7th Brigade soldiers 370
(photo credit: Mark Neiman/GPO)
President Shimon Peres met with the IDF 7th Armored Brigade on Wednesday during a visit to the Golan Heights, where he watched tank and shooting maneuvers and toasted the Festival of Freedom.
“You are part of the best military generation in Israel’s history,” he told the soldiers.
Peres toured the area with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz.
Moving between the tanks and shaking many hands, the president said that IDF soldiers have always succeeded in finding solutions to problems even in the most difficult of situations. They always had the advantage of combining problem solving with courage, he said.
Peres, who has been closely involved with the IDF for the past 60 years, was proud of the fact that the army is prepared and ready to meet every threat.
“Because of you,” he told the 120 combat soldiers, “thousands of families can celebrate the Seder in safety and security.”
Referring to the unrest in Syria and other parts of the region, Peres said he derives no joy from the suffering of people in neighboring countries. He expressed outrage that Syrian President Bashar Assad permits tanks to mow down women and children from among his own people.
The soldiers asked him to present his assessment of Israel’s challenges and achievements, and Peres focused on the achievements.
When he looked back on the days in which there were still doubts about the possibility of establishing the State of Israel and took stock of what has been achieved over the past 64 years, said Peres, he realized that “our dreams were too small.”
In their wildest imaginations, the founders of the state could not have envisaged that Israel would make so much progress in so short a span of time. Looking out at the faces of the young soldiers, Peres said: “You are our future. Dream big!”