President Reuven Rivlin this evening (Sunday 22 November 2015) hosted at his residence a special event to mark the 40th anniversary of the historic speech at the United Nations, by Sixth President of Israel and former Israeli Ambassador to the UN, the late Chaim Herzog.

The event included a discussion on the issue of the de-legitimization of Israel in global fora, chaired by son of the late President Herzog Brig. Gen. (Res.) Michael Herzog, and an address by another son, Leader of the Opposition Isaac Herzog MK, and was attended by members of the Herzog family, Ministers, Knesset Members, Ambassadors, Ministry of Foreign Affairs representatives, and other distinguished guests.

During his address, President Rivlin spoke of the latest terror attack, which occurred just a few hours earlier, in which 21 year old Hadar Buchris was murdered. The President said, “This evening's event is painfully sullied by the terrible terror attack which took place today, and against the background of the ongoing terror attacks in the Gush as in Tel Aviv. The State of Israel, and all the free world, is in the situation whereby the home front, has become the front-line. Terror threatens the citizens of Mali, Paris, Brussels, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Gush Etzion. We will not allow terrorism to dictate our lives, and I am proud that we do not close down our cities due to the threats. At the same time, we neither rest nor be silent, until we return the calm to the streets and all the citizens of Israel. We shall neither rest nor be silent until the whole world recognizes this enemy, and strikes it wherever it may hide. We, the citizens of Israel, will not surrender."

The President noted the relevance even today of the historic speech by Chaim Herzog and said, “It turns out that in the historical context, anti-Semitism has not perished. It is not dead, and it has not even been replaced. We call it the new anti-Semitism, but it is very, very old. On the one hand it is discouraging to discover that the anti-Semitic de-legitimization of the State of Israel has a grip on every generation. Yet on the other hand it is somewhat encouraging to see that the anti-Semitic de-legitimization of Israel did not begin today; it is not up to us; and, unfortunately, it will probably continue to accompany the State of Israel. Not for nothing, did Chaim Herzog call the anti-Semitic 'child' by its name explicitly. Not for nothing did he mention the symbolism of the date, 10th November, during which the Kristallnacht pogrom occurred 37 years earlier. Chaim Herzog was aware that the past still threatens the present.”

The President went on the stress the importance of combatting racism and anti-Semitism, and said, “If there is a timely lesson to be learnt from Chaim Herzog's speech, even 40 years on, it is that on the one hand, it is our duty and right to say things as they are, even in the face of a duplicitous world, even if it goes against the mainstream, and even when it seems the entire world is against us. On the other hand, we need to continue to educate and mobilize the entire international community, Israel's friends, the friends of mankind, against racism and anti-Semitism, for the sake of Zionism, for the Jewish people, and for the State of Israel - with a clear understanding that these are not different conflicts but one battle”.