Israel Katz at the peak of Mt. Hermon
Israel Katz at the peak of Mt. HermonThe Minister's X account

In a post on X on Wednesday, Minister of Defense Israel Katz shared a moving moment from his visit to the peak of Mount Hermon during the day prior.

Katz quoted the song "A Palace in the Kindom of the Hermon," and together with a picture from the visit wrote: "This song was sung in the atmosphere of the great victory of the Six Day War."

He shared he has come full circle: "I served on the Hermon as a young soldier in the Paratroopers Brigade in the War of Attrition against the Syrians. Yesterday, I returned to the 'Kingdom of the Hermon' as the Defense Minister of the State of Israel. It was a very moving moment."

During the visit, Katz stated: "We will be here for as long as necessary. Our presence here at the peak of Mount Hermon strengthens Israel’s security and also adds a dimension of observation and deterrence against Hezbollah’s strongholds in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, while also serving as a deterrent against the rebels in Damascus, who claim to present a moderate stance, but are among the most extreme Islamic factions."

He emphasized that "even in the era of long-range weapons, height, and visibility have great significance. We will not allow repeated threats, such as those of October 7, on the borders of Israel."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the IDF to prepare for an extended stay on the summit of Mount Hermon - at least until the end of 2025.

The reason for the lengthy stay is that it is expected that by then, the political-security situation in Syria will stabilize. It is estimated that by that time, it will be clear whether there is someone in Syria who will respect the 1974 peace agreement and be able to prevent terror activities against Israel.