First and foremost, before I say anything, I would like to express my solidarity with the people of Boston this evening. I send my sincere condolences to all those who lost family and friends in the bombing earlier today.
Ambassadors,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and Gentleman,
It is my pleasure to welcome you to Israel's 65th birthday. I'd like to welcome all of my colleagues from around the world. We have all the ingredients to make this celebration distinctly Middle Eastern – a tent by the river, more food than we can eat, and some UN peacekeepers to make sure things don't get out of hand.
I'd also like to thank the many distinguished representatives of New York’s Jewish community for being here today. As a reminder it happens to be Tax Day in the U.S. If anyone forgot to file their taxes, just look to your left or your right - I am sure that you will be able to find an accountant…and a lawyer for the same price!
I would also like to welcome back The Rafi Malkiel Ensemble, whose music we are enjoying for the second year in a row.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Winston Churchill once said that “65 is the age when you wake up in the morning – looking forward to a nap in the afternoon.” Yet, as President Obama could probably tell you from his visit last month, "sleepy" is the last word that you could use to describe Israel. At age 65, the Start-Up Nation is just getting started.
In just six decades, Israel has moved from harvesting apples to designing Apple computers; from planting trees in the desert to putting companies on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
We are one of the only countries in the world that puts electric cars on the road, launches satellites into space, and wins Nobel Prizes for its scientists.
And, in honor of the UN's International Year of Water Cooperation, take a look at our exhibit here on water and innovation. It will give you a drop of an idea of how Israel is making waves both at home and abroad.
You can see the wellspring of Israeli ingenuity in the Israeli company ODIS. I'm happy to welcome their CEO Sarah Eli. Sarah, it's wonderful to have you here with us today.
ODIS has worked alongside the UN's Department of Peacekeeping Operations for many years, providing healthy drinking water to those who need it most.
Today, for the first time, they are unveiling a machine called the "Woosh." This machine, ladies and gentlemen, is the first-of its-kind. It can connect to the main water supply of any city—regardless of how toxic it is—and provide purified drinking water to anyone on the street.
Not since Moses extracted water from a rock in the desert have the Jewish people seen such incredible innovation.
These remarkable achievements are no accident. After 65 years, Israel has patented the perfect recipe for success: if you want stability, empower your people. If you want sustainability, engage every member of society. And if you want prosperity, invest in your greatest natural resources – your human resources.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On this day, as we celebrate Israel's achievements, we also recognize the challenges that lie ahead.
Tomorrow is Israel's Independence Day, but today was Israel's Memorial Day.
Every year, across the country, sirens wail in commemoration of those who died in defense of the homeland of the Jewish people. For sixty seconds, life comes to a standstill. Cars stop on the highways. People stop in the middle of the street. And everyone remembers the sacrifices of those who have enabled us to live in a flourishing and democratic Jewish state.
The day serves as a sobering reminder that we can never take our freedom for granted. It reminds us that the only way to strengthen the resilience of our present is to remember the tragedies of our past.
And—perhaps most importantly—it reminds us that the daunting challenges that we face cannot cause us to stumble in our relentless pursuit for peace.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Israel has made many overtures for peace in its short history. But I truly believe that last month, we managed to hit all the right notes – and find the perfect pitch for diplomacy.
Last month, our Mission organized a concert in the United Nations by Rita, Israel's most famous singer. For just one evening, we showed the world that the music of these halls does not always have to be a cacophony.
Rita's UN debut was just the latest Israeli "innovation" to make the world a better place. And so tonight, ladies and gentlemen, let us drink a toast to the State of Israel – and the ways that Israeli innovation is making lives more melodious, international relations more harmonious, and the music of the world just a bit more pitch perfect.
L'chaim!
And now, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce a groundbreaking Israeli musician. She is a world-renowned artist – a masterful violinist who knows how to pull at the heartstrings of people across the globe. Her music has echoed from some of the world's most celebrated stages – and tonight she is here to add another string to her bow as a "cultural ambassador" for the State of Israel.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Grammy-award winning violinist Miri Ben-Ari!