President Rivlin addresses opening ceremony for Remembrance Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism
(Communicated by the President’s Spokesperson)
President Reuven Rivlin this evening (Tuesday, 10 May 2016) addressed the opening ceremony of Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Remembrance Day for the Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism, at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, where he was joined by representatives of the bereaved families in kindling the memorial flame. Also addressing the ceremony was Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot.
“Last year, as I stood in front of you, dear beloved families,” began the President and said, “I prayed that maybe, from that Memorial Day to this one, I will not have to pay any more visits to families whose entire lives have just been shattered around them. I prayed that maybe this year, we will stand here, finally, with no new pain. But this year too, reality knocked at our door. This year, once again, I met talented, funny, kind, boys and girls, filled with loving and promise. Each and every one of them a treasure. And this year too, I got to know them too late - when they were already gone.”
The President stressed, “Today is a day of mourning – both national and personal – each and every one of us has loved ones that are gone.” He continued, “Together, a great nation mourns its fallen; Ami, my neighborhood hero, who was only 16 year-old; Freddie, an ember plucked from the fire on Seder night 1947, he had survived the Holocaust, and yet was killed on the battlefield; Maoz and his son Nir, Eran and his father Dubi, boys who followed the fathers they barely got to know. Hussein Ali, a bride-groom who never made it to his wedding day. Hadar, guardian of the walls of Jerusalem, who died as she protected them, just this year. The list of our fallen goes on and on. None of them had planned for death. None of us bring children into the world with the thought that one day we will bury them in the soil and say the Mourner's Prayer, standing over their open grave. Fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, grandparents, I stand in front of you and my heart is broken, my heart is torn. Your children, your loved ones, the fruit of your hopes, the subject of your adoration - there is no limit to the sorrow and suffering, there is no answer for the silent call - only the silence of death.”
The President went on to say, “Last year we did not have much time to be together. We each burrowed into our own path of righteousness, and we had disagreements, by their very nature extremely difficult and tough, and speak to the root of our existence here. However, the IDF is not just the army of all of us - the IDF is all of us. It is the secular and the religious, Jewish and non-Jewish, it is Arab, Bedouin, Druze and Circassian. It is those born in Israel and it is immigrants, it is sons of the city, and of the settlements, members of Moshavim and Kibbutzim – it is the length and breadth of the country, left and right. And the map of grief surrounds us all, on a chilling and equal scale. The same pain of longing and the same fate. The pinpoints in the map all mark the same, in the Negev and in Tel Aviv, Kiryat Arba and in Moa'ar, in Sderot, Jerusalem, Yeruham and Shlomi. We must remember that the IDF does set the course. The IDF does its utmost in the highest and most professional manner, to navigate through safely and reach its goals. Our confidence in the IDF and its commanders, and our confidence in its review and control mechanisms – is our confidence in ourselves. It is our confidence in our strength to stand before those who have sacrificed for us – your sacrifices – and in the justness of our cause.”
He added, “For over sixty-eight years we have been fighting the same war, the war for our independence; an ongoing campaign that changes its face and form. It is a painful battle that all the time adds fresh scars to the body and spirit of this ancient and robust people. Inherent in the stones behind me, the stones of the Western Wall, the 'wall of tears and hope', is testament that we are not men of war. We did not go into battle hungry for war, but with the desire for peace, with a lust for life, and a hated of death. But we realize the bitter and horrible truth – that there is a terrible price – which you have paid – to be a nation determined to protect its citizens and its independence. We will stand strong against anyone who dares to put our resolve to the test in any way.”
The President turned to the bereaved families and said, “You, who did not have the chance to finish bestowing love, it is thanks to you that we can love. You, who did not manage to see your children grow up; it is thanks to you that our streets are filled with life, with boys and girls playing. You, who did not manage to fulfil your dreams; it is because of you that we can dream.”
He concluded, “On this occasion we remember, and are reminded, of our commitment to our kidnapped children and those missing in action. We remember and are reminded of our responsibility to bring to Israel for burial, those of our sons whose graves are unknown. May the memory of our sons and daughters, who are loved and cherished, be engraved on our hearts forever.”
PM Netanyahu addresses State Memorial Ceremony for Victims of Terror
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
Following are Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks at the state memorial ceremony for victims of terror, which was held today (Wednesday, 11 May 2016) at Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem:
"Yesterday, a very moving ceremony took place at the Knesset, during which they sang Chaim Nahman Bialik’s wonderful song Take Me Under Your Wing. In this song, he says: 'People say there is love in the world. What is love?' And then onto the stage comes, Ahava [love], the young daughter of Dafna Meir, who was murdered by a miscreant in front of her children as she protected them. And little Ahava provided a response, no less wonderful, to what great love is – a mother’s love which Dafna showered upon her, and saturated her in throughout the few years they spent together. This love will help Ahava throughout her life, and will be missed at the significant moments of her life. The pain is immense.
As a son of a bereaved family, I feel your anguish with every fiber of my body. As a citizen of Israel, I share your grief, and as Prime Minister, I stand by you and commend you for your endurance.
We are fighting a national battle. It has been raging for over 100 years. Throughout our history, each generation has suffered under the hands of murderers, and sadly, each generation knew bereavement and orphanhood, despair and grief. Each generation was charged with withstand the test, and all generations survived.
I have been pondering the word hatred. It is not part of our people’s tradition; it is not one of our characteristics. In the history of Israel, the word has been used to describe hatred toward us for religious, social, economic and national reasons. We do not wave the flag of hatred. We raise the banner of brotherhood and extend our hand in peace to the nations of the world and to our neighbors. 'Nation shall not lift up sword against nation.' Who wrote that? Who introduced this idea to humanity if not our prophets? And this ideal continues to guide our generation, but our enemies refuse to accept our presence here. They see each and every one of us, whether in uniform or not, Jews and non-Jews alike, as a target. They attack mothers with children, they attack children, adults, the elderly – like the attack that happened only yesterday. They are bloodthirsty as a result of blind hatred and uninhabited incitement.
The terms are different, but the motives are the same. In the past year we have been calling the attacks lone-wolf terrorism, which is a supposedly a new concept in Israel. But terrorist attacks occur and reoccur, they wash over us in waves, and over time they take on a new form. This year too, we lost beloved people, and each incident is a tragedy that breaks our heart. It breaks the hearts of the families first, but the heart of the nation too. A father and son on their way to the celebratory Shabbat before a wedding ambushed and murdered in a shooting attack; a young women shouting for help in an alley in Jerusalem as her husband tries to fight off the terrorist and is eventually murdered in front of her eyes; and a group of Israelis on a tour in Istanbul who also fell victims to fundamental Islamic terrorism, which has no borders.
But it is on this day that – from the abyss of endless sadness, from the depths of darkness – the powers of life within us are revealed. Our mutual accountability is exhibited at the scenes of the attacks, as people hurry to help those being threatened, often with nothing but their bare hands and at great personal risk.
We continue the mission of those murdered, we continue their legacy. We have discovered the exceptional personalities of each and every one of them: nobility, charity, kindness, spirit, wonderful qualities that influenced those around them. I visit the families, I try to visit them all, and hear about these people after their deaths, and I am always amazed by our people. And for that reason, terrorism will persist.
The prophet Micah said: 'Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; though I am fallen, I shall arise.' That is the message. I have fallen and I have arisen. We arise every time, after the Shiva, the week of mourning, and we stand with them. We are increasing our hold on our land; our determination to overcome those who wish to kill us and to get our own on them is undeniable.
My dear brothers and sisters, this is a difficult day. The wounds reopen. I believe, and the entire nation prays, that you will find the strength to heal the wounds and grow new tissue over them.
You are not alone. The love of the nation and its unity is with you. We find comfort in building of our country and in the glimmers of light left by our loved ones. I send heartfelt wishes for a speedy recovery to all the wounded, and may you know no more sorrow.
May the memory of the victims of terror forever dwell in our hearts."