Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (Likud) on Monday evening arrived at the Orot Hatorah synagogue in Bat Yam for a memorial ceremony honoring his mother.
At the event, Gallant donated a "parochet," the curtain hung in front of the Ark in synagogues.
Together with his family, Gallant held a Torah study session with Rabbi David Hai Hacohen, the head of the Bat Yam yeshiva and the community rabbi.
Gallant shared, "Hamas did not expect such a response - they thought the world would abandon us, that we would break because of the hostages, and that we would stop the fighting. That did not happen. We will complete the task, even if the cost is high, because that is a lofty goal. We will bring down Hamas."
The rabbi encouraged Gallant, offering him words of comfort and discussing the connection between the Torah and the IDF. He also held a memorial ceremony for the fallen of the IDF, and led the prayer for the welfare of the injured and the return of the hostages.
This is the third time Gallant has visited the community. Attending the ceremony were graduates of the Shayetet 13, its commanders, and soldiers, who came to learn in the synagogue's memorial room dedicated to those Shayetet soldiers who fell in battle. The room was dedicated by Rabbi Hacohen and Gallant last year.
