Five years of work, struggles, changes of guard, wars.
Five years full with events, experiences, inner struggles _ and Nachman's voice was not heard;  Nachman does not  react , with his wisdom, does not throw in an enlightening, very appropriate remark; does not enlighten us with his wise  assessment of the situation; does not explain what has happened,  and what will happen, and pull over us a cover of opitimistic review and his strong belief in the eternity of  Am Israel, and the secret of his existence and endurance.  

     And we, gathered here - his family, his friends, his comrades - miss him so, in everything that is going on here.  We want to know what he thinks. What he has to say.   We miss him in our celebrations, our achievements, in our anxieties, our inner struggles, and our uncertainties.  We will always miss him.  
How much I would have liked to hear his opinions on the Peace signed with Egypt, on our evacuation of  Yamit and the surroundings, on the war in Lebanon, on the revolution in El-Salvador, or on the nomination of another president in a far away country.  And on - on what not??
For Nachman was a rare combination of a soldier and a statesman.  A soldier that knew and understood international politics; a statesman 6thast knew and understood the might of the army.  

     The Hagana and the IDF formulated commmanders that were both gifted and possessed a variety of different 
abilities.  There were, and still are,  commanders possessing the ability of the wheat grain and the sword, like Shmuel Glinka, Nachman's relative, and Kutti Adam, who was with us in Memmim course, God bless their souls; there were political movement people like Benny Marshak and Igael Alon, God bless their souls; there were sword and  book people like Danny Mass and Zeev Aharon, God bless their souls; people of Art and sword - bohemian souls, like Daddo, God bless his soul.  

     Nachman was a little of each, but more than anything else he was an example of a soldier and statesman. He knew intimately the inner sanctums of the UN and the Powers, the currents and influences, the leaders and the movements.  He was like a dictionary and Atlas for us in the mysteries of the World Labvyrint.  The great achievements of Israel with Close relations with the People of Africa, Asia and Latin America, were initiated and directed by Nachman.  He envisioned the plans; convinced his commanders and the governments of their necessity, went to all these strange (to us) countries, and achieved the rare relationships with their armies and leaders, with no great cost to us.
He never rested.  Never was satisfied with our achievements.  His thoughts were always towards the next achievements.  Boldly and with a lot of talent, bring on additional countries - not for domination - but to bring to them the wisdom that Israel acquired during its existence in  progressive agriculture, army in assistance of building a nation, Yout education for national needs, and Health.  And so it happened that this young man from a village, this Jew from Israel, brought light and progress, food manufacturing and Organized Youth to the ends of the world. He saw both the micro and the macro.  Realized the international benefits, but also dealt with the specific needs of the lone Israeli emissary in far away locations in the world.  

     Once Nachman accompanied a group of leaders and high officers from African Nations on their tours around Israel.  One of them wondered: How is it that the sweet water Jordan River feeds the Kinneret (Sea of Galille), whose water is also sweet, and yet the same river flows down south, feeds the Dead Sea, that is so called because its water is salty.
Nachman answered: The Kinneret receives the sweet water from the Jordan, and gives it forward, to flow down south, while the Dead Sea only received and gives out nothing.  This was Nachman’s philosophy. One who receives and gives on - is sweet and life bearing; one who only takes and doesn’t give on - is bitter and carries death.  You get, and then you give on.  This philosophy he applied in his work, and in the great assistance the IDF gave to other countries.  What ever assistance we got, helped us achieve the expertise we developed, and it was now our turn to assist other countries for their sake and for the sake of Israel.  Only the historian, with hindsight vision, will be able to assess the great success of what the IDF Missions did in the sixties - with the initiative and leadership of Nachman Karni.  

     We did not tell today of Nachman the village boy, the Hagana member, the Infantry Warrior, one of the establishers of the Intelligence Corps, partner in Secret Operations, Army Spokesman, IDF Representative in the UN, and other fields of action.  We did not tell of Nachman who bore his pain inside - smiling outside; we did not tell of Nachman the great Believer in the Jewish People and Israel’s  beloved emissary to the Jewish Communities everywhere.  
We only came to visit you on the fifth anniversary of your leaving us. We - your loyal wife Sarale, your wonderful daughters - Smadar and Yasmin, your relatives, and a choice representation of your friends and comrades-at-arms, who went  along with you - in the village, the Memmim Course in Jouara, The Alexandroni Brigade, The General Staff of The IDF, The Foreign Ministry and The Ministry of Defence.  Your friends  who even after five years remember you and miss you.  

Yehi Zichrecha Baruch.