Benny Gantz
Benny GantzSpokesperson

National Unity Party chairman Benny Gantz on Sunday summarized the counterterrorism Operation Shield and Arrow and brought the debate surrounding the judicial reform back to the public agenda.

"We are at the conclusion of a successful and proactive operation, in which the entire defense establishment once again proved its capabilities. I wish to strengthen the residents of the south and all the security forces. The Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense did well by allowing them to act with cunning, discretion and responsibility - and not hotheadedly, as the opposition within the coalition demanded,” Gantz said.

He noted that "the terrorists of the Islamic Jihad who made a wrong assessment of our strength and resilience - are in the grave. This is a message to all our enemies. After Operation Guardian of the Walls, I said that the situation that existed previously would not continue - we retaliated to every balloon or rocket, in Tel Aviv or in Sderot. Alongside this we deepened, even if in a limited way, the economic involvement of the Arab countries in Gaza, increased the price of the loss, and strengthened the activity in Judea and Samaria and the coordination with the Palestinian Authority, thus preventing the consolidation of arenas. The result is a weakened and isolated Islamic Jihad, and a deterred Hamas that is pushing for a ceasefire."

Gantz added, "This round of fighting is also a reminder of the enormous security challenges we face. Challenges that require us to maintain our strength and unity. We must preserve the value of service and the army of the people and the security forces and leave them out of the political debate."

Gantz sought to send a message to the government and added, "With the return to normality, and the continuation of the fight for our democratic image, we must not return to the routine of threats to democracy and of polarization. We must remember that, just as we did not win individually in the military campaign, so in the fight for our civil image we will have to know how to agree together."