Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon. Photo: Wikipedia.

At one of Israel’s many Memorial Day ceremonies throughout the country on Wednesday morning, Defense Minister Ya’alon reiterated his position on ethical rules of engagement, the Hebrew news site Walla reported.

Addressing a service at the Kiryat Shaul Cemetery in Tel Aviv, Ya’alon said, “Over the past several months, Israel has been confronted with a wave of Palestinian terrorism, which indeed has been on a down-slide of late, but is liable to erupt anew. Even during the difficult moments, in which our blood boils and our rage is high, woe to us if we lose our way and our values, the compromising of which would likely bring Israel to the abyss.”

Ya’alon then directed: “Exercise force when necessary, but also understand its limits and its ability to lead to a dulling of the senses. Ensure the purity of arms and retain humanity, and let us not lose our heads.”

Ya’alon’s speech was delivered to tens of thousands of people. According to Walla, hundreds of thousands of others participated in 52 official events and hundreds of additional unofficial ones throughout Israel. The main ceremony, at the military cemetery at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, was attended by more than 120,000 mourners.

This year, approximately 23,447 fallen soldiers and victims of Arab terrorism were commemorated.