Barak: Soldiers' courage made up for superiors' Lebanon War errors

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Wednesday that the courage of the Israel Defense Forces combat soldiers compensated for the mistakes of decision makers many times during the Second Lebanon War in 2006.

Addressing bereaved families at a ceremony marking three years since the deaths of 121 troops in the war, Barak said that "it has only been three years, but it feels like ages. The war is still present in the collective Israeli consciousness in the form of an eye-opening wake up call. For you, the war represents a terrible breaking point after which nothing can ever be the same."

The war broke out in July 2006 when Lebanese militia Hezbollah launched a cross border raid which culminated in the deaths of several troops and the kidnapping of two soldiers. The war was waged in southern Lebanon for 34 days, while Hezbollah continuously fired missiles into Israel's northern cities.

"IDF soldiers went to battle with the knowledge, which was also apparent in the home front, that a response is necessary. Israel isn't a country eager to go to war, but Hezbollah crossed red lines and Israel was perceived as weak and paralyzed in the eyes of the organization," Barak continued.

The defense minister commended the courage of those soldiers that had died, and praised the initiative, sacrifice and camaraderie that they displayed. "Their courage made up for the mistakes of upper echelons more than once," he said. "Their bravery and determination made all the difference. Your loved ones, together with 44 civilians, gave their lives for the security of the state and for their brothers in arms."

Barak also addressed the repercussions of the war, saying that "effective deterrence has been achieved, and thus calm has returned to the north, but the situation is still volatile. Hezbollah is rearming and the days of conflict are not over. We are monitoring them closely."

"With one hand we will pursue regional peace, while the other hand remains ready to fire," Barak went on to say. "The war was important in terms of the lessons that the IDF has learned, as well as the lessons learned by the political echelon. The IDF has been overhauled, under the command of Chief of Staff [Gabi] Ashkenazi."

The defense minister declared that Israel's guiding principle should be "to try to prevent war, but if war is forced on us, to ensure a significant and unequivocal victory."