​(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara, and French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, today (Tuesday, 5 June 2018), attended a gala event in honor of 70 years of the State of Israel and the opening of the Israel-France Cross-Cultural Season.
 
Prime Minister Netanyahu and French President Macron dedicated the opening of the event which depicts 70 years of Israeli innovation, at the Grand Palais in Paris. The exhibit features developments and technologies in medicine, security and cyber, and space research, among other fields.
 
Following is an excerpt of Prime Minister Netanyahu's remarks:
 
"We are celebrating tonight 70 years of Israeli independence and 70 years of Israeli-French friendship. There is much to celebrate. There are great moments that decided the future of our peoples – one of them took place here. It took place over 100 years ago, close to 120 years ago, when Émile Zola wrote "J’accuse". He attacked anti-Semitism and he paved the way for Zionism because a young Jewish journalist, Theodor Herzl heard those words, understood what they meant and wrote the seminal track that changed Jewish history – he wrote the "Jewish State". The "Jewish State" is the most important work of Zionism and the rebirth of the Jewish people.
 
The second most important work is Émile Zola's "J’accuse" because it clarifies in moral terms why the attack on the Jews was unjust, just as Herzl said, why the creation of the Jewish state was a necessity. So we celebrate today 70 years of Israel's founding, of Israel's ingenuity and 70 years of this profound relationship between our two nations.
 
I mentioned anti-Semitism but it is one aspect of a different relationship altogether which is based on shared values. Why are our nations such great allies? And I suppose the answer might be summed up in three words – words with which you all are familiar: Liberte, egalite, fraternite! First, liberte. For Israel, that vision, the vision that has always guided us is the hope that has inspired us, the words that have always sung by our national anthem is to be a free people, a liberated people in our homeland. להיות עם חופשי בארצנו. So to establish Israel 70 years ago and to protect Israel every day since then, we have had to fight against forces of tyranny and terror who despise liberty. Like France, Israel believes in liberty. Like France, Israel cherishes liberty.
 
Like France, Israel is a proud democracy – proud of our record in preserving liberty in the heart of the Middle East. This is truly a remarkable achievement because in the 70 years there was not a single moment, a second even, in which Israel's democracy was put into question. We stand for liberté.
 
We also stand for egalite. Like France, Israel values equality. Our people gave the world the most powerful statement of equality ever made – the Bible’s statement that all are created in the image of God, and that fundamental vision of equality guides our nation today. That’s why Israel is home to Arab Supreme Court Justices, Christian diplomats, Muslim police officers, Druze ministers, in fact, a Druze minister in my cabinet is right here – Ayoob Kara. Ayoob, stand up. You probably are standing up. There you are. Thank you. It is home to female fighter pilots, to gay members of Knesset. We draw on the passion and creativity of all our citizens regardless of gender or religion, or ethnicity or race. In Israel, we believe that all are equal under God and in Israel, and in the Middle East only in Israel - all are equal under the law.
 
And fraternite - Like France, Israel is a friendly nation that stands in solidarity with so many around the world. You see that solidarity when Israel sends medical aid to countries like Haiti and Nepal after devastating natural disasters. In fact, when I leave here tonight I'm going to speak to my friend, the President of Guatemala and offer whatever help we can help. Israelis go to various places around the world and offer light and hope.
 
So we see that solidarity also when we treat thousands of wounded Syrians who are the victims of a terrible war and a brutal regime. We see that solidarity in the life-saving technology we share with Indian farmers and African mothers who don't have to walk days, hours every day to get water because Israeli technology solved that problem. We see that solidarity also in the peaceful relations we have enjoyed for decades with two of our Arab neighbors, Egypt and Jordan – peace agreements that have stood the test of time. And as I told President Macron today, I believe that this broader peace will expand to the Arab countries and ultimately to our Palestinian neighbors.