Peres: "Your actions showed good judgment"

03 June 2010 , 17:20

The President of Israel visited injured naval soldiers who participated in the interception of the Gaza flotilla, to thank them for their personal sacrifice

Jonathan Urich

On Thursday morning (June 3), the Israeli President, Shimon Peres, visited the injured Shayetet Naval Special Forces soldiers in Tel Hashomer Hospital in Tel-Aviv. The President had a lengthy conversation with one of the moderately injured soldiers by his hospital bed. The President also spent time speaking to the other less seriously injured soldiers, one of which was released from Tel Hashomer today.

Mr. Peres stated that he is visiting “in behalf of the country of Israel, to thank and salute the brave soldiers”. He also described how much the country appreciates the “personal sacrifice the soldiers made upon boarding the Marmara. You [the soldiers] exhibited great courage and ethics. The Marmara protesters are no freedom fighters,” said Peres. “They are terrorists. And even under these difficult circumstances, Israel still reaches its hand out for peace. If you want to lift the Gaza blockade, then abandon your way of terror. Recognize Israel, and let’s begin a peace treaty.”

“Israel acts upon a moral mission. And I am sure that feeling of being just will accompany it with every decision it makes” said the President. “You [the Shayetet soldiers] did not act like robots. Your actions showed good judgment. Although your own lives were at risk, you approached the situation with great care. The Shayetet soldiers did things that can not be taught in basic training. As individuals and as a unit, they put the country ahead of themselves. From all across the country I hear constant love and admiration to the Shayetet soldiers and IDF,” concluded President Peres.

source:http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/06/0303.htm