Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Thursday afternoon 8 Kislev 5773 at National Police Headquarters in Jerusalem, met with Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich, Israel Police Chief Yochanan Danino and other senior Israel Police commanders. The Prime Minister thanked the personnel of the Israel Police for their work during the military operation against the terrorist organizations in Gaza.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said: “I came, first of all, to thank you, the personnel, commanders, officers and volunteers of the Israel Police. You worked, I want to say, 24/7 but it was actually 24/8 – 24 hours a day for eight straight days. Your work was exceptionally intense and exceptionally successful. You are the backbone of work on the home front, along with other forces, but you did this loyally, professionally, and with dedication. On behalf of all Israelis, I would like to thank you.

I would also like to thank Fire and Rescue Service Commissioner Shachar Ayalon, Magen David Adom, led by Eli Bin and his people, and Israel Prison Service Commissioner Aharon Franco and his people, who dealt with issues that came up. I would like to say in general that the home front was handled differently. I commend Home Front Defense Minister Avi Dichter, IDF Homefront Command Chief Maj.-Gen. Eyal Eisenberg and all the soldiers and civilians who worked on it. This time the home front functioned very well. We have invested billions in the home front. We had exercises, we made preparations, with the Israel Police, IDF Home Front Command and other organizations, in the cities and local councils, and this campaign functioned very well. It applied very many lessons and acted in complete contrast to what our enemies expected.

Not only did the home front not collapse, it stood steadfast and was managed with equanimity, restraint and the emotional resilience of Israel’s citizens.

I have appointed Prime Minister’s Office Director-General Harel Locker to head a team of ministry director-generals to deal with the problems that have arisen after the fighting, to deal with problems of financing, assistance and rehabilitation quickly and without bureaucracy.

We had many major achievements in this operation. The IDF struck very hard at Hamas and the other terrorist organizations. Many terrorist leaders were killed. We eliminated thousands of missiles that were aimed at the south of the country and almost all of the missiles that were aimed at the center of the country. We operated against the terrorist organizations’ infrastructures; things that were built over the years were demolished.

We are ready to act should the quiet be violated.

I know that there are citizens who expected an even sharper response. We are prepared for this as well. Just as we did during this operation, we will decide when and how to act, and against whom.

Now we are giving the ceasefire a chance. This is the right thing to do for the State of Israel at this time but we are also prepared for the possibility that the ceasefire will not be upheld, and we will know how to act if need be.”

Israel Police Chief Danino told Prime Minister Netanyahu that the earthquake preparedness exercise that was held last month greatly helped the Israel Police to be better prepared, and that the home front had never been handled as well as it was during this campaign.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)