Speaking at son’s memorial ceremony, Eisenkot stresses need for unity

Speaking at a memorial ceremony for his son Gal who was killed last month during an IDF operation to recover the bodies of hostages in Gaza, war cabinet minister Gadi Eisenkot stresses the need for unity after a year of massive societal divisions sparked by the government’s highly controversial plan to overhaul the judiciary.

“The fact that a young man from Herzliya and a young man from [the West Bank settlement of] Susiya are fighting together after the year we’ve had should be thought provoking for all of us,” Eisenkot says as he fights back tears.

“I think the fact that [Gal] was killed in an operation that was ultimately intended to help rescue hostages, it’s a mission that he very much identified with, even if it meant returning the hostages for burial in Israel,” he adds.

Asked by a reporter after his speech whether he’s worried that the fabric of Israeli society could fall apart after the year that the country endured, Eisenkot admits that he very concerned, but expresses hope that the unity that has followed the tragedies endured on October 7 will help sustain the country.