Marking ’73 war, president calls for scrutiny of today’s leaders

Rivlin warns against becoming ‘addicted’ to the illusion of military strength as happened in Yom Kippur war, says diplomatic future must be shaped

By Stuart Winer

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24 September 2015, 3:22 pm

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Stuart Winer is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel.

President Reuven Rivlin, right, and Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon seen at a state ceremony marking 42 years since the Yom Kippur War, held at the military cemetery at Jerusalem's Mount Herzl, on September 24, 2015. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

President Reuven Rivlin on Thursday urged the Israeli public to be bold in questioning its leaders and warned against being seduced by a false sense of security based on the country’s military might.

Rivlin made the comments at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem during an official ceremony to mark 42 years since the Yom Kippur War, which, he said, is still an “open wound” for the nation.

“On that Yom Kippur, we were addicted to the illusion of stability that was imagined in the status quo of being the regional superpower,” Rivlin recalled. “Israel in 2015 — must not become addicted to that same false stability; it must dare and initiate. Even under conditions of uncertainty we must shape the diplomatic and strategic horizon with our own hands.”

“Israeli society must be critical of its leadership, to bravely ask questions,” he added.

On October 6, 1973, the Egyptian and Syrian armies launched a surprise attack on Israel as the Jewish state marked Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which is observed with a 25-hour fast.

Although Israel was ultimately victorious after initial significant setbacks, over 2,500 soldiers were killed and hundreds taken captive in sharp contrast to the swift and successful conclusion to 1967’s Six Day War.

In the wake of a public outcry against the government and the army for their failure to predict and prepare for attack, IDF chief of staff David Elazar resigned after a commission of inquiry recommended he be dismissed, and prime minister Golda Meir and her cabinet — including defense minister Moshe Dayan — resigned as well.

Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, who was also present at the Thursday ceremony, vowed that Israel would seek peace but remain on guard against any threats.

“We must continue to act with strength and determination, with responsibility and discretion, against those who seek remove us these days as well — along our borders, within them, and even far from them,” Ya’alon said. “To continue to pursue real peace with the peoples of the region, but to not be drawn by illusions; to be alert to frequent changes, to leave no stone unturned to be better, more up-to-date, and more ready.”