Netanyahu at the cornerstone-laying at pre-military academy named after his brother Yoni
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara have participated in the cornerstone-laying ceremony for the permanent structure for the “Yonatan” pre-military academy named after the late Yoni Netanyahu.
Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu at the Yonatan pre-military school Photo: Haim Zac
The prime minister’s older brother died at a counter-terrorists hostage-rescue attack performed by Israeli commandos at Entebbe airport in Uganda in 1976. 102 out of the 106 hostages were successfully freed. Yoni Netanyahu led the assault.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the ceremony at Kibbutz Alumim in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip: “The pre-military academies break down barriers and create a true partnership between all parts of the people. When I meet pre-military academy graduates in uniform, as I will meet you soon, I am impressed by their leadership, their marching forward, motivation, excitement and all of this is accompanied by the great spirit that pre-military academy cadets absorb between the academy walls. Here, adjacent to the Gaza Strip, you have been doing this for eight years already; therefore, it is impossible to exaggerate the importance of the academies and of assuring their future.
Yonatan Netanyahu
Occasionally tragedies happen, as you know, as happened to one of the pre-military academies to our sorrow. I met the parents, their pain is unimaginable, and the loss of their daughters and one son is a pain that is familiar to me. They asked me to form a committee of inquiry to look into the mishap to ensure that this kind of thing does not recur so that the future of the pre-military academies will be assured. I intend to meet their request as soon as the police investigation is over, so the legal officials tell me. We will form a government inquiry committee to ensure that the work of the pre-military academies may be carried out for generations to come. I think that they are so important. I am sure that this will help.”
During an open conversation with the academy cadets, he said: “The haters of Israel merely change; over the years they have not disappeared. There are new enemies who work to the same extent. What has changed is the State of Israel, the IDF and the readiness of the generations that fell in order to defend our state. This is a great combination that is unprecedented in the annals of other peoples; it entails loss but also great excitement.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu added: “This spirit of Yoni, of fighting and understanding the range of our history, all generations of the Jewish people, that in the end leads to responsibility, is what we are doing to ensure the continued existence of our people.
Today it is as clear as the sun that the Jewish people has no existence without our existence here in the State of Israel in the land of Israel. This has already been proven. He understood that our existence will be dependent on the existence of the Jewish state, and the existence of the Jewish state is dependent on the readiness of all of its youth to wield the sword of David when necessary. What you are doing here is in continuation of this path.”
As part of the event, Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife attended the bringing in of a new Torah scroll in memory of the late Yoni Netanyahu, at the academy study hall. The scroll was donated by the Trabelsi family and written by the late Pinchas Trabelsi who passed away from a serious illness several months ago.
Deservedly so……who could forget the rescue masterpiece of your commando’s snatching them from deaths door to them home.
A true son of Israel who paid the ultimate price.