Barak says Israel can only rely on itself to face ‘the ultimate challenge’

Israel can only rely on itself to face its security challenges and it is prepared to do whatever it takes to defend itself, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Thursday.

Barak, speaking at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery on Thursday at a memorial ceremony for soldiers killed in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, said that the lessons of that conflict have been learned.

In an apparent reference to the threat of Iran’s nuclear program, the defense minister said Israel must place its faith in itself.

“We must always maintain complete security,” Barak said. “We must not be led astray by false hopes or wishful thinking. When the ultimate challenge comes, Israel can rely only on itself.”

Barak added that Israel is prepared to face the cost of defending the country.

“Israel will engage in any campaign that is necessary, even if the price for doing so will be high and costly,” he said.

IDF Chief of the General Staff Benny Gantz and former defense minister Yitzhak Mordechai also attended the ceremony.

Over 2,500 soldiers were killed during the Yom Kippur War, in which Syria and Egypt simultaneously attacked Israel on the Day of Atonement.