Minister Amichai Eliyahu opened the Appreciation Week for IDF wounded soldiers and unexpectedly met Israeli hero Liran Baruch, who served with him and was injured, “The wounded are an inspiration to all of us. Their legacy must continue for generations to come.”
Minister of Heritage Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu, appointed by the government to promote activities honoring wounded IDF soldiers, launched the National Day of Appreciation for the Wounded at Ganei Yehoshua in Tel Aviv. During the event, Minister Eliyahu unexpectedly met Liran Baruch, an Israeli hero who fought alongside him in the Paratroopers Brigade and was seriously injured in 2002.
After the march in Tel Aviv, Minister Eliyahu continued to the central march and ceremony for wounded IDF soldiers at Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem.
Minister Amichai Eliyahu said at the Tel Aviv march, “Before I became a minister, I had the privilege of being a soldier and fighting for the State of Israel. Every word you hear from the wounded is an inspiration. Every word from these heroes who went out to fight for future generations is an inspiration. I was under fire in the Second Lebanon War in 2006. Terrorists shoot at you from all directions, and choosing to charge at them—this is education. Choosing to risk your life—this is education. How does a person teach himself to be a hero? Look at Liran and at the wounded. This is how we learn to be heroes. This inspiration must be told in schools and passed on to future generations.”
Liran Baruch, a paratrooper injured in 2002, said, “It is moving to meet Minister Amichai Eliyahu, who fought shoulder to shoulder with me in the Paratroopers Brigade. We will continue working not only to provide the wounded with the therapeutic support they need, but also with the meaningful recognition they deserve. Minister Eliyahu has been strongly advancing the Appreciation Day for the Wounded, and for that we extend our gratitude to him and to the government. We will continue to work to protect IDF soldiers and the wounded, and to remind everyone of the righteousness of the Jewish people’s path in their homeland.”
Col. (res.) Gal Duviner and Udi Tenne, a former senior defense official, who serve as CEOs of the association Hahazakim Mitgalim which supports wounded IDF soldiers, said, “It is moving to see how the State of Israel embraces its wounded. At the same time, the war after the war has only begun, and even now we must continue caring for tens of thousands of wounded. The ‘When the Strong Are Revealed’ association will continue to be at the forefront of support for wounded IDF soldiers.”