Speaking at the annual general meeting of the Manufacturers Association of Israel today, Minister of Defense Ehud Barak declared Operation Cast Lead in Gaza a success. "Yesterday morning Operation Cast Lead ended. The IDF showed extraordinary capability, Hamas was hit very hard, their appetite for firing rockets will be very restrained for along time."
"We will have to continue to prosper in the intervals between battles," Barak continued. "Hamas was surprised by the very fact that an air operation was launched, they were surprised again when the ground operation started, and in the end we see the results. We are examining far reaching measures with the Egyptians to deal with the smuggling.
"These three weeks revealed the beautiful Israel, the rallying to the cause, commitment, solidarity, faith that our cause is just, the IDF at its best, the home front that, when it is properly prepared, bolsters our inner strength."
On the political front, Barak said, "The Labor Party has a program. Even while the operation was taking place, factories were being closed. Economic and social security are things that thought and action must be invested in. Anyone who knows how deeply Netanyahu believes in the system that has collapsed in front of our eyes will find it difficult to believe that he will provide the solution.
"Kadima looks confused to me. It is introducing measures that are too little, too late. Security is something for every area of our lives, economic, social, and personal.
"Gilad Shalit nothing is closer to our hearts today. We must not talk about it too much, we must act. The operation brings us closer to getting a swift process going, but tough decisions will have to be made, not just in Jerusalem, to make it a reality. We who sent Gilad on his mission, and I who for decades have sent soldiers on missions, have a contract with the soldiers of the IDF and with their parents to bring them home."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on January 22, 2009
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