It is now 13 years since two IDF helicopters crashed in mid-air over northern Israel, tragically killing 73 Israeli soldiers. A ceremony for the fallen soldiers was held yesterday.

Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi spoke at the ceremony in the presence of the bereaved families. Ashkenazi said it is important to preserve the values of those who fought, "and to preserve the calm of the northern border today, but also to respond harshly against anyone who tries to break this quiet."

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said at the ceremony, "Thirteen years ago, on a cold dark night, a cruel fate knocked on doors of the house of Israel, and darkness fell on the home of 73 families, turning their lives upside down. The tragic news shocked the entire country. The helicopters that crashed have been since engraved in the national memory. Seventy-three families have become part of a larger family, the family of bereavement. Every one of the soldiers left a vast gulf behind, an unbridgeable chasm of pain and sorrow, a family life that will never again be the same."

"Dear families, I know that there do not exist in the world words that can bring comfort to your sorrow. He who has passed, cannot return to you. As Prime Minister, I commanded the army to return to Israel from Lebanon. We are in the heart of the flowering North, at the height of tourist season. Normal life has returned and quiet and growth is apparent everywhere. I find it a comfort that your sons who fell in the defense of North are resting in peace, their mission fully achieved. Israel is stronger than ever. We want peace but follow what is happening at the border. We are ready for any challenge placed before us," Barak added.

"Israel paid the price in blood for its security. The memory and heritage of the fallen accompany us in every act. We are committed to ensure the continued prosperity and growth of the Zionist enterprise so their death may not be in vain. The memory of the seventy-three victims of the disaster is engraved on our hearts and on the heart of Israel forever."