Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar! party, participated on Sunday in the “One Nation, One Sukkah” event held at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. The sukkah was erected in memory of his son, Gal Meir Eisenkot, and Eyal Meir Berkowitz, both of whom fell during operations to locate hostages in the Swords of Iron War.
“This moving event was planned over a month and a half ago, and I find great symbolism in the fact that it’s taking place on a day when twenty living hostages are returning - along with the hope that all the fallen will soon be brought to burial in Israel,” Eisenkot told Arutz Sheva-Israel National News. “The mission in which Gal and Eyal fell was aimed at bringing hostages home.”
Addressing the hostage deal, he said, “I see this deal as a dilemma and a challenge, but it was made from a position of strength. Israel’s strength lies in its capacity to do what is right-even at great cost-understanding that this is the state’s duty to its citizens and essential for the resilience of the nation for generations to come.”
He added, “Even if some find the deal troubling, I believe our soldiers understood the importance of the mission. There will be time to defeat Hamas.”
“The feeling today should be one of unity around the return of the hostages,” he continued. “This was the mission for which Eyal Berkowitz and my son Gal gave their lives. They undertook it knowing it was a moral imperative-alongside the goal of defeating the brutal enemy that attacked us on October 7.”
Regarding the list of terrorists to be released, Eisenkot said, “When I saw the names, I knew exactly who they were. These are vile murderers. As commander of the Judea and Samaria Division and later as Chief of Staff, I oversaw operations to capture or eliminate their accomplices. Despite the heavy price-and I understand the families - this is a price that is right for us.”
He concluded, “I am convinced that from this difficult moment, we will emerge a stronger society - one capable of facing future challenges and reconciling strength with our moral commitment to return both citizens and the fallen.”