Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon addressed an event Sunday honoring the tens of thousands who have been wounded in Israel's wars and in terror attacks, at the President's Residence.
Ya'alon spoke of defeating terror with "determination and an iron fist, high alertness of the security forces and citizens and use of a wide array of means and tools with which to strike it." He explained that the struggle requires "steadfastness, patience, responsibility and even-mindedness."
"We will defeat this terror," he stated. "We have no other choice, and we have no other land."
However, the defense minister also linked the fight against terror with the kind of values that are usually more characteristic of "politically correct" politicians.
"At this time," he said, "especially as we fight Islamist terrorists with no compunctions or morals, it is fitting and important that we also remember our values and make sure to honor them.
"We must strike those who aim to hurt us with determination and strength, but maintain our composure, our level-headedness and humanity; obey the rule of law with no exception, and block any attempt to raise a hand over the court and its judges, even if one disagrees with one decision or another."
We must also, he added, "respect all people because they are human, regardless of religion, race, sex or sexual tendency, and combat the discourse that is motivated by hatred and 'stomach juices' toward the 'others' in Israeli society; not allow the exclusion of women and harming them in any way, and continue to act to embed Israel's Arabs in society, despite the attempts of a separatist leadership to cause strife and incite. This morality, these values, are a central element in our strength."
This is not the first time that Ya'alon has chosen an address at a memorial ceremony to impart values that are usually associated with the more leftist side of the political spectrum.
On Memorial Day of 2014, Ya'alon centered his speech on “price tag” operations attributed to Jewish extremists.
Speaking at a military cemetery in Tel Aviv, Yaalon said Israel must strive to be a nation that fights xenophobia and racism. Israel "must fight with an iron fist against the terrorism which is wrongly called 'price tag' - an ugly phenomenon which has no connection to Jewish values and morals, and whose aim is to harm Arabs only because they are Arabs," Yaalon said.
"There is a lot of work ahead of us: we must strive to be a state... that fights to the end against racism, against violence and against xenophobia," the minister added.
That speech caused considerable consternation among relatives of the bereaved.