Greetings from the President of the State of Israel to
the
Jewish Communities in the Diaspora
on the occasion of Rosh Hashana 5774
September 2013
Dear Friends,
I am happy to
extend my warmest good wishes to the Jewish Communities around the world, in my
name and on behalf of the people of Israel at large, for the New Year – a new
beginning – which I pray will bring peace, stability, economic growth and
opportunities leading to great achievements.
At the onset of
Rosh Hashana, and as an omen of optimism for the year to come, Israelis and
Palestinians have returned to the negotiating table with full force. At this
time of hope for the future, we pray that these efforts will yield the
long-awaited results we have all been yearning for, allowing us to enjoy the
fruits of peace with hope in our hearts for a brighter future for us all.
In the Middle
East the dust has yet to settle on the dramatic changes that have swept across
our region. We hope that from this period of instability will emerge the chance
for the countries around us to find the freedom and prosperity for which they
aspire, and that a promising dawn will rise over this part of the world. In
these turbulent times, Israel remains an island of stability in a sea of
uncertainty and will continue to stand strong in the face of adversity –
whether it be terror, Iran's nuclear ambitions, or missile attacks on our
citizens. Our prayers for a calm sea go hand in hand with the unyielding shield
which we hold around our island.
Israel has not
been resting on its laurels and has continued to advance to new frontiers in
science, technology and medicine, drawing on our exceptional human resources to
spearhead these efforts. It has carved for itself an ever stronger foothold in
these domains through exciting innovative and creative breakthroughs used to
finding solutions for such issues as water and food scarcity that will
constitute a huge relief to communities suffering from drought and other
environmental issues, alongside cutting-edge techniques in brain research that
will change our lives, and significant discoveries in space and the ocean’s bed
that will shed light on so many of the mysteries of the world, among many
others.
While many
challenges still lie ahead, we are confident of our strength and are ever more
determined of our purpose as a contributing nation. The bond which has linked
the Jewish communities abroad with Israel and the adage of being responsible
for one another remind us that we are not alone on this mission. In this aspiration,
the engagement of the young generation is essential, and we hope that each and
every youngster will join us on this journey towards a better tomorrow. Together,
we shall continue to strive for a better world – Tikkun Olam – and for an
Israel in which moral values are fundamental to our way of life.
From Jerusalem,
I wish all the Jewish communities the world over a year of peace, joy, good
health and prosperity.
Shana Tova U’Metuka!
Shimon Peres