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הגב' קרול סלומון, יושבת ראש חבר הנאמנים של הסוכנות היהודית, כבוד שר, השר לקליטת עליה, זאב בויים, מר אלן הופמן וישראל מימון שני המובילים של תוכנית מסע, מר נבזלין, יושב ראש מוזיאון התפוצות שעוזר לתוכנית מסע, אורחות ואורחים יקרים,
צעירות וצעירים יקרים, מרחבי העולם כולו,
הכינו לי כאן נאום שאני אמור כך הסבירו לי לומר אותו בעברית כי כולכם מבינים עברית. זה נכון?
אני רוצה לומר מילים, מספר מילים, על מי שראה בפרוייקט הזה של מסע יותר מאשר עוד תוכנית. הוא ראה בה שליחות, הוא ראה בה אולי אפילו פתח למפנה בקשר שבין ישראל אל העם היהודי. אני מתכוון לראש הממשלה הקודם, אריאל שרון. אריק אהב את הפרוייקט הזה, אריק תמך בפרוייקט הזה אריק האמין שהפרוייקט הזה הוא אחד מהאמצעים שיגרמו לכך שהרבה מאוד צעירים כמוכם מכל רחבי העולם היהודי יבואו לכאן לא רק לבקר אלא גם לחיות כאן ולהפוך את החיים במדינת ישראל לבסיס לעתיד אחר לעם היהודי כולו. אני שמח להיות שותף לתכנית הזאת. ואני שמח להיות כאן הערב בלטרון מקום שמסמל בהיסטוריה של מדינת ישראל גבורה, מקום שמסמל מלחמה על ארץ ישראל, הגנה על ארץ ישראל ובניין של מדינת ישראל. אני רוצה ברשותכם לומר מספר מילים גם באנגלית.
I know that not all of you speak English, but I can feel from the reaction of the crowd while others were speaking that maybe you are still more familiar with English than with any of the other languages that may have been spoken tonight. So let me talk to you, and take this opportunity to share with you some of my emotions and some of my desires with regard to you.
I know that many of you come from countries which are very comfortable to live in. You come from Western countries – from North America, from South America, from Europe – countries and other places which are very hospitable to Jews.
And I know that your plans are to go back to those countries, and continue to play a part in Jewish life in your different communities. Let me tell you something which I am sure all of you know now after being in Israel for a whole year – there are many great communities across the world. There are many great countries which are very hospitable to Jews, and in which Jews can live wonderful lives as equal citizens in those countries. There is only one home for the Jewish people, and that home is here in Israel, in the State of Israel.
And therefore, I am very proud of MASA. I am very proud that MASA has given many of you the opportunity to understand this better than you ever did before.
I must tell you – there is one thing that I am very jealous of with regard to all of you. You know, we, who were born in Israel… for us, in many different ways, living here and being here, and loving our country is the most natural and obvious thing. Because we were born here. All our lives, we are part of this country, of this land. There was never anything new for us, because everything that we can remember, and some of us can remember many years back, was part of the life of this country.
There is one experience which you had that we never had, and this is the experience of the first visit to the State of Israel. And I know that this first visit, for many of you, has changed your lives, because we have accorded you something that you knew was part of you, but only after coming to Israel, and living in Israel, and visiting Israel, did you understand that that is the importance and the significance of this country to your lives no matter where you will be later.
And what I want to suggest to all of you now is one simple thing. You are completing your year of MASA in Israel, and you are supposed to go back to your homes, wherever you live. Go back, stay awhile, then pack up and come home. There is nothing that we want more. There is nothing that we need more than to have you in the State of Israel. The future of the State of Israel depends on the number of Jews from all over the world that will pack up, turn around, come home, live in this country. Share with us the pains, share with us the difficulties, share with us the divisions, share with us the disagreements, but share with us also the challenges and the triumphs and the victories and the glory of living here and building the future of the Jewish people in this country.
Thank you, and do not forget – we are waiting for you here.
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