Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke Monday evening at the inauguration of the John Henry Patterson Medal, named for a British commander who developed the Jewish battalions in the British army that served as a forerunner for the Israel Defense Forces.
Netanyahu said, "This poured the foundations of the new Hebrew fighting force in modern times. Without this, of course, it is impossible to predict the rebirth of the Jewish people, because in the end, without an army, we would be wiped out. Today it's clear, once it was not clear."