Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at main ceremony to mark Jerusalem Day at Ammunition Hill Monday night and promised a powerful response to the firing of dozens of rockets at Jerusalem and southern Israel.
"We are in a struggle that is spreading across several fronts: in Jerusalem, in Gaza and elsewhere in the country. The terrorist organizations in Gaza crossed a red line in the evening on Jerusalem Day and attacked us with missiles at the entrances to Jerusalem," Netanyahu said.
The Prime Minister emphasized: "Israel will respond with great force. We will not suffer harm to our territory, our capital, our citizens and our soldiers. Whoever attacks us will pay a heavy price."
"I tell you, the citizens of Israel, the current conflict may continue for some time. We did not want escalation, but those who chose to escalate will feel the comfort of our arms," he said,
According to Netanyahu, "I cannot share with you the assessments of the situation that I have with all the security forces, nor in the actions we are taking. It is a stubborn struggle derived from seeing the big picture. We will manage it with determination, responsibility and wisdom."
''We will not fall into the enemy traps and are not subject to the tweeting keyboards. The leadership test requires making the right decisions even when they are not understood by everyone at a given moment, and their justification becomes clear later.
The Prime Minister added: "Those who are unable to drive and withstand the pressure of criticism are not qualified to lead. We are carefully choosing the timing of our response and the intensity of the confrontation with our enemies, and this is nothing new."