Itongadol.- "The nation will be able to celebrate the seder…thanks to the fact that the IDF is constantly on guard," Peres tells soldiers.
His long and distinguished career in Israel’s defense establishment has left President Shimon Peres with a permanent positive sentiment toward the Israel Defense Forces.
Whenever possible, Peres tries to visit with an IDF unit on the eve of major Jewish holidays. In keeping with this tradition, Peres, escorted by senior army officers headed by Deputy Chief of Staff, Major-General Gadi Eisenkott and Major-General Yair Golan, GOC Northern Command, toured the northern border on Sunday.
In the course of the tour, Peres observed soldiers in the Egoz Reconnaissance Unit engage in military exercises on the Syrian border and also inspected an exhibit of special defense equipment incorporating the most advanced technology at the disposal of the IDF.
Peres was also briefed on the situation along the northern border, and was told that this past March was one of the most violent periods in recent years. Golan told him that there had been several incidents in which there was shooting and bombing from Syria. As a result of the bombing, four soldiers were injured and one is still hospitalized at the Rambam Medical Center. The northern border is subject to constant change depending on developments in the Syrian civil war, said Golan.
“We can see the strengthening of global Islamic Jihad and greater unification among radical Muslim elements”, said Golan. Therefore it was decided to establish an additional division of soldiers specially trained to meet the new security challenges in the region.
Peres wished the soldiers a happy Passover and together with the officers, raised a toast to them.