|
Honored President of the State Shimon Peres,
My colleagues Ministers in the Government and Members of Knesset,
Mayors,
Distinguished Guests,
Residents of surrounding neighborhoods,
Tel Aviv city council members,
Members of the special company headed by Amnon Zach, and founded to construct this park,
Members of the UN Fund, headed by Mr. Ted Turner, who honor us with their presence,
And last, but not least, the Sharon family members, children and grandchildren.
I'm positive, though I have no way of verifying with Arik, that if I were to ask him, he would say that nothing would bring him greater pleasure than seeing his grandchildren, of whom he would be so proud, running around and having fun in the Arik Sharon park to be constructed in this area. Almost every Sunday morning, when we used to meet at the Government meetings – and I would sit to his right – he would lean towards me and say: "Gilad just informed me how many calves were born last night." Nothing pleased him more than these daily encounters with the things that were dear to him more than anything else.
Arik Sharon is first and foremost a military man, a warrior, a politician, and a leader, but at his core, at his roots, he is a farmer, a man of the soil. He loved the smell of the damp soil after the first rain; he loved to see the weeds glisten in the winter sun after a rainy night; he loved the lambs, the sheep and the fields; when he walked among them he felt that he was in the place he belonged, the place he was most attached to.
Arik was the one who decided about the construction of this park. He brought it to the Government and said that he is proud that he can nurture a big green "lung", big not just by our standards but by any standards. I am told that the planned area of the Arik Sharon Park is larger than Central Park in New York, though I believe that the area is only a little smaller than the city of New York and all its subsidiaries. Arik was very proud of the idea of bringing this Park to the Government for approval, and it is only natural that this Park with be Ariel Sharon Park.
I greatly appreciate the initiative of the Bracha Fund. Members and contributors to the Fund pushed to express something to which, in our usual way, we are late in arriving; but better late than never. We have become aware of the great importance of environmental issues – which for years we did not pay enough attention to – not too late I hope, so that we can preserve, nurture, and encourage them, so that the State of Israel may offer its citizens a better and higher quality of life; so that we may preserve the natural beauty that we have been blessed with in this land, enjoy it and bequeath it to our children.
Arik took charge of the park, and I hope that we, and our children, and Arik's children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy this great "lung" that is adjacent to the most bustling, noisy, and dynamic center we have in the State of Israel.
I know that the General Manager of the company, and the Chairman, and the Mayors here expect to hear something more about the Government's commitment. The Government of Israel will be a loyal partner to all factors in order to ensure that this park is constructed quickly, and that it will glorify the State of Israel.
Good luck!
|