An Israeli flag waves as Israeli Air Force planes fly in formation over the Mediterranean Sea during an aerial show on Israel’s 74th Independence Day on May 5, 2022. Photo: Reuters/Amir Cohen

i24 News — The head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency David Barnea on Thursday honored the former heads of the Mossad and their retirees who served during the Yom Kippur War, calling for “internal unity” as the country’s biggest strength.

Speaking at an event dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the war, he emphasized the importance of dealing with the existential challenges that Israel is facing.

“We must not underestimate the enemy and its capabilities,” he stressed. “We should not forget that around us there are countries and organizations that continue to grow stronger to threaten our peace here. We should not exaggerate the support of our allies in times of crisis — we will build our strength and capabilities. We should not underestimate the importance of unity in order to survive. Our strength is in our internal unity.”

Barnea added that the lessons learned by Israel and its intelligence community during the Yom Kippur War are still relevant.

“We must not stop dealing with the existential threat of the State of Israel — the victory of 1967 supposedly removed any doubt as to our ability to continue to exist forever,” he said.

“We must act to establish our deterrent power, we must strive for normalization. A country that despises the pursuit of peace is doomed to be drawn into war,” he noted.