Prime Minister Netanyahu on Monday addressed the nation during an offical memorial ceremony for those who have fallen in terror attacks, saying, "We give this answer to those who go after our souls: We will strike you. We will strike you with all our determination."
Netanyahu opened the ceremony at Mount Herzl:
"It is hard to estimate the full price our state has paid with its fallen – families never established, children who were never born, creations never created".
"I can appreciate, and well, the price that you have paid, members of the bereaved families. I am a part of you. I know how great the pain is… the scar that will never heal, the feeling of destruction and loss".
"We each have our own way of dealing, ways of dealing with the torment of loss, which is the torment of hell. I wish I could advise those of you who have this year joined our family, the family of bereavement, but I am powerless to do so. I know that even though the entire nation accompanies you, you have been sentenced to walking alone with this pain and the abyss that has opened up in your lives."
"How to live when our arm has been severed, and how to be consoled when our soul is wounded? We find solace in the flow of life, in our private and national activity for reconciliation and peace."
"In the recent weeks, the murderous terror struck us again. The Fogel family, Udi and Ruti and their three children, Yoav, Elad and their baby, only-3-months-old, Hadas, all of them were killed by hateful murderers who still sleep in their beds".
"There was Daniel Viflic, who was killed when Hamas fired missiles against tanks, and hit a school bus. And just two weeks ago, another name was added to the list, Ben-Yosef Livnat. He was murdered on his way to pray at Joseph's Tomb. All these people died for just one reason. Because they were Jews. And also some non-Jews were murdered because they were with Jews".
"The purpose of terrorism is to instill fear, to break you, and our answer to this, as it was always, is to refuse to succumb to fear."
"The answer of the Tsoref family to those who want to kill us is: You will not conquer us, you will not scare us, you will not drive us out"
"Until there is peace,Israel will be strong because we have learned through our nation's history that only if we defend ourselves can we ensure the existence of the State of Israel".