Herzog Marks 70 Years Since Operation Kadesh and Honors Fallen Fighters

President Isaac Herzog marked 70 years since Operation Kadesh on Friday, paying tribute to the campaign’s fighters and commanders and honoring its fallen soldiers, wounded veterans and bereaved families. In a Hebrew statement, he recalled a campaign undertaken when Israel was only eight years old, describing its aims as combating fedayeen terrorism and securing the country’s borders. Herzog portrayed the campaign as a complex episode that brought exceptional achievements and special alliances while also confronting Israel with a severe international crisis. He credited David Ben-Gurion with turning its achievements into years of relative security, which he said allowed the young state to build, grow and strengthen until the Six-Day War. He also described the campaign as an expression of Israel’s determination to remain permanently. Addressing the bereaved families, Herzog said seven decades had neither eased their pain nor diminished the memory of the fighters. “Your loved ones are our loved ones,” he said. His tribute also embraced veterans wounded physically and psychologically. He said the fighters’ courage remained engraved in the nation’s heart and that their legacy would accompany future generations, concluding his message with a blessing for the memory of the fallen.