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(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara, today (Thursday, 14 June 2018), at Sergei's Courtyard in Jerusalem, attended a reception in honor of Russia's National Day hosted by Russian Ambassador Anatoly Viktorov and his wife. Following are Prime Minister Netanyahu's remarks:
 
[Translated from Hebrew]
 
"We are pleased to be here for two reasons. First of all it is Russia's holiday and it is a holiday that is being dedicated and marked here in Jerusalem. I anticipate that that there will be many more such days in Jerusalem. Second, as you know, it is the opening of the World Cup. I am also Foreign Minister and can only express the hope that everyone will win."
 
[English]
 
We’re honored to celebrate Russia Day with you here in Jerusalem, and I’ve just predicted in Hebrew that we’ll celebrate many, many more Russia Days in Jerusalem. I have great respect for Russia. I have respect for its contribution to civilization and the courage of its people.
 
I read, as a child and as an adult, Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky many times. I’ve listened to Rachmaninov. We all know Stravinsky. The contributions of Russian culture are immense to world culture, but you mentioned correctly, Ambassador, that from the point of view of the Jewish people, there was an enormous contribution.
 
We never forget the sacrifice of the Russian people and the Red Army in the defeat of the Nazi monster. We know that this was a decisive point in history, and we believe that it should be honored, as we honor it in the great monument that was erected in Netanya, in Israel, to commemorate this courage and the truth. We also know that 400,000, maybe more, Jews fought in the Russian army, in the Red Army. I think your father was one of them, Sofa Landver, and we know that they paid a heavy price as well in defending our common heritage and preventing the destruction of the Jewish people.
 
This is why this year we decided to make Victory Day a national holiday in Israel, and it’s also particularly moving for me that I had the honor to be in Moscow in Red Square in the great parade that commemorated this enormous victory. When I heard Hatikva being played in Red Square, it moved my heart. It moved the hearts of many, many Jews around the world and all Israelis. This is a reflection of the great friendship that has developed between Russia and Israel. We think that it’s born of a common history, but also of common interest.
 
We are united in our desire to fight terrorism. We are united in giving a better future for our peoples. We cooperate in so many ways. We cooperate in creating hundreds of dairy farms in Russia to give more milk. The reason is simple: The Israeli cow gives more milk per cow than any other cow in the world, because every moo is computerized. So this is something obviously that reflects the benefits of technology for a better life, and it follows, this principle is being followed in many, many other areas in our cooperation.
 
There is a great affinity between our people, because over a million Russian-speakers are here in Israel as a human bridge between us. The contributions are so immense: in government, as is evident, in every field of life. The presence of Jews from the former Soviet Union, Russian speakers, has changed Israel in ways that are profound and have helped secure our future.
 
I also want to thank President Putin for everything he’s doing to fight anti-Semitism. This is a very important expression of the special feeling that the Russian people have with the Jewish people, and the Jewish people have with Russia. I know that we’re going to celebrate many, many years of cooperation between Israel and Russia in Moscow and also next year in Jerusalem. Happy Russia Day."
 
Prime Minister Netanyahu added:
 
"We’re in Sergei Court. This is a special place, and you described its history. President Putin, with whom we cooperate in so many areas, asked me to finalize the transfer of this unique property to its Russian owners. This was held up by bureaucracy. Ambassador, in Russia, there is no bureaucracy, I’m sure, but in Israel it’s a big problem, and we had to use machetes to cut through it. But I’m very proud of the fact that I was able to tell President Putin on one of the many visits that we have – and they’re very productive visits, very important, very important I think for both our countries and for the varied interests of Israel, including the national security – this partnership that we have. But I was especially honored to have had the opportunity to tell him, 'Here are the keys to Sergei Court,' and now I’m especially honored and deeply moved to be able to celebrate Russia Day here. Another reason for celebration."