I don't think there is such a policy in the country. I don't think we are going to use the F-16 as a daily weapon. We react militarily, not because we tend to be excessive, but because we are left without a choice. Thousands of Israelis took to the streets of Jerusalem today to mark Jerusalem Day the 34th anniversary of the reunification of the city during the Six Day War in 1967. It was on this day that Israeli paratroopers stormed through St. Stephen s Gate into the Old City, and minutes later stood in awe before the Western Wall, the last remnant of the Temple.
Security is especially tight for the holiday, amid fears of terrorist attacks.
Hundreds of policemen and soldiers have been deployed in the city, guarding the marchers, many of whom carried Israeli flags. The message of Jerusalem Day is that the city will remain the undivided, eternal capital of the state of Israel forever, and none of it should be handed over to the Palestinians. It has been the symbol of Jewish national and spiritual life for 3,000 years, and we re not going to give it up. This is totally unacceptable. The decision came after Israel used F-16 warplanes against the Palestinians on Friday, in retaliation for a suicide bombing at a mall in the coastal town of Netanya that left five Israelis dead.