From the Liveblog of
Sunday, October 8, 2023
Herzog vows that Israel will win this war: ‘We have no other choice’
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
President Isaac Herzog urges national unity in his speech to the nation, saying “let us keep this spirit of heroism and this togetherness. It is our most powerful weapon.”
He asks citizens to avoid spreading rumors that serve Hamas and to follow orders from the Home Front Command.
“There is an indisputable fact here — the State of Israel will win this time as well,” he pledges. “We have no other choice.”
He calls Hamas’s attack “an unforgivable sin — a sin that is led not only by a murderous terrorist organization, but by an evil axis whose base is in Iran, whose proxies work tirelessly to undermine us.”
He calls Hamas “monstrous animals,” who slaughter toddlers and old women.
“My brothers and sisters: we are at war for our home,” says the president, “and we will win.”
He says that Israel will “make it clear that we are here forever, on our land in our country. Win, and build more and more, to replace homes that were destroyed.”
The Times of Israel Community.