(Communicated by the Office of the President)

President Reuven Rivlin this morning (Thursday, 15 January 2015), participated in the launch of the Jerusalem Prize for National Unity, together with Mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, and the families of Naftali Fraenkel, Eyal Yifrach and Gilad Shaar, the teenagers kidnapped and murdered by terrorists this past summer. The President, together with members of the steering committee for the prize, heard from the families of their will to continue the path of their sons, and honor the individuals, groups, organizations and initiatives, working for unity in Israel, and accepted their invitation to present the award on the anniversary of their sons' murders.
 
The President said, "During those difficult days, when we all feared for the fate of Natali, Gilad, Eyal, you, their parents, were for us a beacon of resilience. You emanated strength and belief, and instilled confidence in all of us, and encouraged us. We discovered within us, a tremendous power of giving. Different  opinions and views, individual interests were all put aside as everyone joined in - with dedication, sensitivity, and understanding - all working together with the understanding that Natali, Gilad, Eyal, were all our sons. Just as we became one in the efforts to bring them home, so as one, we were shaken when we discovered their fate. To the outside observer, this may have seemed to be a circumstantial, one-time phenomenon. But we know that this great spirit of mutual responsibility is no passing phase."
 
The President spoke of the importance of the prize bearing the name Jerusalem as a symbol of unity. He said, "Specifically, in the shadow of the events of last summer, and inspired by that spirit of mutual responsibility which we witnessed, we must continue to encourage all those working to maintain and strengthen that sense, that feeling, of unity and commitment. The Jerusalem Prize for National Unity reminds us what is acceptable, what is desired, what is appropriate. In awarding this prize, we want to embolden and amplify the positive voices in our society, and focus on the good." The President concluded by accepting the families' request to award the prize at a ceremony at the President's Residence, on the anniversary of the murder of the boys.
 
The members of the families thanked the President for his words. Uri Yifrach, father of Eyal, told the President, "Eyal, together with Naftali and Gilad, with their murder, brought a different spirit to the people. I have no doubt that that the souls of the boys led us to a different place, and we the families, feel a special commitment to the people, to the memory of the boys, and of that very difficult period that we went through. There is no place like the President's Residence, the president of the people, who unites the whole people, to launch such a special initiative, calling for national unity. We all, from this place, call for unity, for love, because, 'we have within us love, and it will win out'."
 
Ofir Shaar, father of Gilad, said, "This is a living memorial. It is special and vibrant, and relates all communities, and all people to inspire a spirit of unity. We know that this spirit has been flowing throughout the public, since what we endured, but occasionally need to place it in the spotlight, and this is the essence of this award: to nurture the values we felt then; mutual respect, tolerance, a new language that allowed us to move forward. I appeal to the elected officials, and the public itself, to seize this opportunity with both hands, and join in this endeavor for the unity of Israel."
 
Avraham (Avi) Fraenkel, father of Naftali said, "During the days of the search, of despair, doubts and worry, days full of holiness, we saw mutual support, caring, encouragement, and good-will. We received strength from across the nation, at home and abroad, we felt we were not alone, and that all the people stood with us this through this awful time. And today we are here to maintain the same essence, to preserve the spirit of those days. The award is called the Jerusalem Prize for National Unity in Israel, and no one expresses better than you, Mr. President, the centrality of Jerusalem - throughout your life, and today your actions as President, symbolize the unity of the nation. We are honored to be here to launch the prize."
 
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said, "There is no one who was not moved by the exceptional unifying power of the families of the three boys. The warm connection built during the week of mourning, led us to create together the Jerusalem prize for unity in Israel, which we are launching today. I thank the President who so expresses the unity of the nation, and the connection between all its parts, and his contribution to the promotion of this important award."
 
The Jerusalem Prize for National Unity, in partnership with the Gesher organization, and the Jerusalem Municipality, is a new prize to be awarded annually to individuals, groups and organizations working to promote national unity. It will be awarded around the anniversary of the kidnapping and murder of the boys. The prize committee which will choose the recipients includes Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman, Prof. Yuli Tamir, journalist Orly Vilnai, and artist Kobi Oz.