Alongside Israel’s defense and attack capabilities, its “other capabilities” keep it alive, Prime Minister Yair Lapid said Monday.
“The operational arena in the transparent dome above us is made up of defense capabilities and attack capabilities and what is commonly called in the foreign media ‘other capabilities,’” he said at a ceremony for the new head of the Israel Atomic Energy Commission. “These other capabilities keep us alive and will keep us alive as long as we and our children are here.”
“[Former prime minister David] Ben-Gurion established the Atomic Energy Commission in 1952,” Lapid said. “It takes a lot of vision to establish this thing. Vision, in its most basic meaning, is the ability to take an idea and pour into it order, power, the right people, long-term thinking and a lot of attention to detail. This is what is now in front of me. We are proud of you, and we thank you. The fate of the people of Israel is in the right hands. Thank you very much to everyone.”
"We are proud of you and we thank you. The fate of the people of Israel is in the right hands. Thank you very much to everyone"
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett told the gathering: “A year ago, we made a series of decisions aimed at sharpening the assessments on our side to deal with the Iranian nuclear program. We allocated enormous resources to close gaps that kept me awake at night.”
Dealing with the Iranian nuclear program
While the Iranians are making progress, the Israeli system “has been working at full power for the past year,” he said.
“I am asking you, and I know you will continue to work, regardless of the political upheavals in the country,” Bennett said. “Our future and our security for generations depend on it.”
ערכנו היום טקס חילופים לראש הוועדה לאנרגיה אטומית. אמש נפרדנו מתא"ל זאב שניר, אחרי 7 שנים כראש הוועדה לאנרגיה אטומית, ו-49 שנים של שירות במערכת הביטחון. מי שנכנס היום לתפקידו הוא תא"ל משה אדרי, אדם רציני ומקצועי עם וותק של 31 שנים בצה״ל ו-11 שנים בתפקידים בכירים במערכת הביטחון. pic.twitter.com/I3BSIkQbNO
— יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) August 1, 2022
IDF Brig.-Gen. (ret.) Moshe Edri, the incoming head of the Israel Atomic Energy Commission, served in the IDF for 31 years and in senior positions in the defense establishment for the past 11 years. He replaces Brig.-Gen. (ret.) Ze’ev Snir, who has served in the role for seven years.