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President of Bar-Ilan University,
Chairman of the Board of Trustees,
Distinguished Recipients of Honorary Degrees, Family of the late Ehud Manor,
My friend, the Honorable Teddy Kollek, the architect of the construction and magnificence of united Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the Jewish people and the State of Israel,
University Faculty,
Students,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great privilege to congratulate such a distinguished group of people, who have made such a valuable contribution to expanding human knowledge, enriching the humanities, state and society affairs, public needs and the expansion of higher education.
I congratulate Bar-Ilan University on its 50th anniversary. The very decision 50 years ago to establish a Zionist-religious university was an act of great vision that the State of Israel – and the national religious public – can feel proud of. However, above all: the true pride of the University is its thousands of students and graduates, who acquired knowledge here, and paved the way, as a raging river, to the forefront of science and to all aspects of the national economy and public and governmental systems. The stamp of their education at Bar-Ilan is visible, and we can say of them: “All that see them, will know them.”
I congratulate the founders of the university, the faculty, the administration and the staff and of course, all those who received the honorary degrees. I hope that in the next 50 years you will continue on the same path, with the remarkable combination of Torah, research and science.
Yesterday, we celebrated Jerusalem Day with gratitude and commemoration of its fallen soldiers. Today is, according to the civil calendar, the anniversary of the liberation and unification of Jerusalem in the Six Day War. For 19 years the city was divided by mine fields, besieged and gloomy; and since then it is one, open and united. For 19 years, Jewish feet did not cross the eastern municipal line, and since then, the city is full of life, surrounded by Jewish neighborhoods. For 19 years, we would longingly look at Israel’s holy sites on the other side, and since then, Jews visit them without interference, and the freedom of worship for believers of every faith exists in Jerusalem, as it never has before. Jerusalem is one, united, has returned forever to the bosom of Israel, and strangers will never again rule here. This is our vow to Jerusalem, this is our oath.
38 years have passed. The struggle of the Israeli people for their land has not stopped, and we still face many tests and challenges.
We did not rest on our laurels for all those years. In spite of sweeping external objections and bitter internal disagreements, we have created solid facts on the ground which will eventually influence the final agreement, and will prevent a return to the permeable and dangerous borders of the Armistice Agreements. I will always be proud of my part in designing and developing Jewish settlement in our homeland. I will always be grateful and deeply appreciative of the pioneers of settlement, the great majority of whom are from the national religious camp, and who realized the vision and the mission. The national religious camp is close to my heart. I cherish the world of values, legacy and Jewish roots, the education toward personal ethics, fulfillment and dedication. In every generation, there was a group which led, usually a small group – leaders are always few. In the last generation, it was the national religious members. Both in the field of settlement and in the field of security – because when one leads, one leads in all fields, and also, unfortunately, pays the price.
Therefore, I call on my brothers and sisters, the settlers, who are the salt of the earth. We have walked a long path together. We established glorious settlements. We had a dream. We were unable to fulfill the entire dream, but we succeeded in fulfilling a very important part of the dream. Were it not for settlement, we would not be able to pray at the Tomb of the Patriarchs or be in the Jewish Courtyard or visit the Old City of Hebron – Tel Rumedia – today. We would not be able to return to Gush Etzion or visit Rachel’s Tomb unmolested, which is included within the enclosure of Jerusalem.
We would not be able to ensure that the security assets essential to our future will remain under Israeli control. All these things would not be possible were it not for settlement. We would not be able to visit the ancient cemetery in Hebron and touch the tombstones which are 700 or 800 years old.
We would not be able to visit the Karait cemetery in the neighborhoods of Jerusalem, in Maaleh Adumim and its suburbs, Ariel and its suburbs, Shiloh and Beit El, the northern bloc of western Shomron, the ridge of the hills which command a view of the coastal plain and the Jordan Valley.
We established the settlement movement in faith and passion, but also in spite of many citizens of Israel who disagreed. They are also a part of the people of Israel. They also send their sons to the IDF, and even if our position is not their position – no political camp in Israel has a monopoly on absolute rightness. The unity of Israel will not be attained by the complete victory of any political camp over another. Unity is a mutual, painful compromise so that we can live together.
The test of the greatness of spirit is in the ability to accept difficult decisions approved by the institutions of the State, and to carry them out, with moral strength and dignified restraint despite the pain. The decision to leave Gaza will be implemented. It will be fully realized and according to the schedule already determined. Today – there is already no other possibility. The decision is difficult but very important to the State of Israel.
It is a difficult decision, as difficult as the parting of the Red Sea – not only for the settlers, but also for those like me, who spent years settling the land. However, the responsibility for the fate of the country sometimes necessitates difficult decisions that cannot be evaded.
I understand the immense pain, but we must not forget that the day after, we will need to join hands and stand together in the face of the tests yet to come. I say to leaders of the settlers, because I speak with them, we cannot say: “If there is disengagement, it will bring about the destruction of the State and destruction of the people and destruction of settlement, and so forth.” This is not the case. We must look at the day after that. The Jewish people are “the people who shall dwell alone”. And there will be many more problems we will have to overcome.
We have always had, and will always have, disagreements. However, the goal was and will remain the same for us all. We cannot allow disagreements to destroy our unity. There is more which unifies us than divides us, and our common values must always be on our minds.
The common denominator of Zionism, on which we can base our national unity at home, is to guarantee the future of the Jewish and democratic State of Israel. We are not allowed to ignore the demographic reality in the land of Israel, and even within the borders of the State of Israel. This reality entails sober decisions now. Any postponement in making the necessary decisions will not relieve us of the need to tackle the difficult questions.
The answer to this is not merely tied to political processes. We must make a supreme national effort to increase Aliyah. To this end, we must strengthen the Jewish-Zionist education for the youth, in both Israel and the Diaspora. We must work to improve the culture and quality of living in the State of Israel, jumpstart the economy, generate prosperity and welfare, eliminate social gaps, and eradicate delinquency, violence and crime. We must continue to settle and develop the peripheral areas – the Galilee and Negev, and above all, strengthen our eternal capital – Jerusalem. All these are components of consolidating our national strength. The greater our national strength, the stronger our inner unity and mutual respect, the better our chances will be to ultimately achieve most of our goals and arrive at the gates of the sought-after peace with strength and unity. I am certain that the national religious public must and can continue leading in this also in the years to come.
The State of Israel has proven that it is capable of making great achievements, achievements which have no equal among nations, even when facing animosity all around us, wars and terror. I am certain that, with G-d’s help, we will be able to stand together, united, in confronting all the challenges ahead. And I know that when we are united, there is no limit to what the Jewish people – the most talented and creative of all nations – can achieve here in the land of Israel.
Thank you.
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