The Commander of the IDF’s Central Command, Major General Avi Bluth, participated yesterday (Sunday) in a ceremony marking the 35th anniversary of the establishment of the Judea and Samaria Regional Brigade (Yamas). In his speech, he addressed the security challenges facing Israel and highlighted the achievements made over the past year.
“Although we face enormous challenges on all fronts, it is worth remembering where we were a year ago,” Maj. Gen. Bluth began. “Back then, terrorist battalions in Judea and Samaria operated from refugee camps that had become quasi-sanctuary and fortress cities. A year ago, there were still armed parades and roadside bombs that claimed the lives of our soldiers.”
He added: “A year ago, Nasrallah was alive, and Hezbollah stood on its feet as an organization … This has been a year in which we acted to thwart both near and distant threats, doing so proactively, with initiative and cunning. This has been true both outside Israel’s borders and within the Central Command area of operations. Through precise activity and practical wisdom, we act decisively while remaining human. You, the soldiers and commanders of the Judea and Samaria Regional Brigade, have played a major role in all this significant work, alongside our partners in the Border Police, the Israel Police, and the Shin Bet.”
According to Maj. Gen. Bluth, “The many challenges before us - the intense fighting in Gaza City, defense in the north, and the ongoing fight against terrorism in Judea and Samaria - have recently been compounded by multiple vectors that are heating up the Central Command arena, including political statements, the holiday season and olive harvest, external intentions, and the inspiration and contagion effect of lone attackers. These are not reasons for optimism—but I am full of hope, because I believe in you, my dear soldiers, and in our ability, through our actions, to improve the security and civilian reality in the State of Israel.”