President Reuven Rivlin on Sunday visited the pilot and navigator who were injured on Saturday during an operation in Syria, and are being treated at Maimonides Hospital in Haifa. He spoke with their families about their moments of anxiety, and the relief at their loved ones’ recovery.
The President visited the combat pilot whose condition was upgraded to moderate, and met his wife and infant son and his parents.
The President also sat and spoke at length with the navigator who was lightly injured and was due to be released from hospital later the same day.
The President was accompanied by the hospital’s director and deputy director, Prof. Rafi Beyar and Dr. Mickey Halbertal, Dr. Hany Bahouth— the physician who operated on the pilot, and head of ICU, Dr. Yaron Bar-Lavie.
Before departing, the President told the media that were gathered at the hospital, “I was pleased to see the two airmen together, and that each of them was recovering at a swift pace. This is an opportunity to thank Maimonides hospital for their ability, and uncompromising dedication to care for our soldiers.”
He added, “Once again we saw our teams in operation after much training, and demonstrating their DNA of devotion to achieving the goal – not returning home until the mission is completed. This is the most important value against our enemies. All those who wish us ill should know we will not allow them to disrupt the lives of the citizens of our country, and that we will not stand by in the face of those who seek to do so. My thanks go to all the security forces, and specifically to the air crews, for their uncompromising commitment.”
When asked about Iran’s involvement, the President said, “We constantly warn our friends in the world who think they can reach an arrangement with Iran. As far as we are concerned, we are not only talking about a nuclear danger, but also about a state that supports terrorism. We have Hezbollah in the north, we have Hamas in the south, and we have Iran behind them, and Israel will not stand by as Iran wishes us ill and says so outright. The Prime Minister was right yesterday, when he warned that everyone in the world, the powers and countries, know that we cannot accept Iran’s involvement here in our borders, at our gates.”