It is a real pleasure to be here with you tonight at this Board of Deputies president’s dinner.
I have been in the United Kingdom for less than a fortnight, and my remarks here are my first in public since arriving.
It is only right and fitting that they are being delivered before the Board of Deputies of British Jews.
For over 250 years the Board has proudly represented British Jewry.
The Board has a glorious past.
It is demonstrating vitality in the present.
And I am confident that the Board will continue to be a powerful voice for British Jewry in the future.
Friends,
In the coming weeks Jews here in Britain, in Israel, and across the globe will celebrate Passover.
Pesach is also known as חג החירות the festival of freedom.
We celebrate our deliverance from slavery in Egypt to freedom in our own land, a land I am proud to call home.
And we can all take great pride in the freedoms that Israel guarantees all its citizens – Jew and non-Jew alike.
In fact, in the vast expanse of the greater Middle East.
From Morocco in the West through to Iran in the East.
From Syria in the North through to Sudan in the South.
In a region plagued by extremism, violence and tyranny;
Where militant Islamists seek to return our planet to a pre-medieval dark age;
In which women are chattel, minorities brutally subjugated, gays lynched and so-called apostates executed.
In this volatile and dangerous Middle East,
Israel stands out as a beacon of freedom and pluralism.
Israel enjoys a rambunctious parliament.
A fiesty and free press.
Courts renown internationally for their professionalism and independence.
And an active civil society, second to none.
Yes, Israel is an island of freedom in an ocean of fanaticism and autocracy.
So when British people look at the Middle East, and search for a country that reflects their values, British values:
democracy;
the rule of law;
individual liberty;
and tolerance of those with different faiths.
There is only one country that truly shares those values.
And I am proud to be that country’s new Ambassador to the Court of St James.
I know that you wish me success in my mission, to build an even more robust partnership between Israel and the United Kingdom.
Just as I wish you success in your mission, to shape an even better future for British Jewry.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The President of State of Israel.
Thank you.”
Photography credit to the Board of Deputies and John Rifkind Photography.