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Honorable President, Mr. Shimon Peres,
Madam Speaker of the Knesset, Ms. Dalia Itzik,
Honorable Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Ms. Dorit Beinish,
Honorable Mayor of Jerusalem, Mr. Uri Lupoliansky,
IDF Chief of Staff, Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi,
Israel Police Commissioner, Dudi Cohen,
Honorable Chief Rabbis, the Rishon LeZion, Rabbi Shlomo Amar and Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger,
Honorable Chairman of the Jewish Agency and the World Zionist Federation, Mr. Zeev Bielsky,
Honorable Chairman of the Yad Labanim Organization in Jerusalem, Mr. Eli Dahan,
Honorable Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Ambassador Henri Etoundi Essomba,
Honorable Chairman of the IDF Disabled Soldiers Organization, Mr. Yoav Alt,
IDF generals,
Members of Knesset,
Dear Bereaved Families,
The memorial siren was heard throughout the country, and the hustle and bustle of life in the State of Israel stopped for one clear, crystallized moment of unity with the memory of Israel's fallen soldiers, and compassion and solidarity with the bereaved families.
At military cemeteries and military plots many are now gathering – good, loyal citizens of the State of Israel, stand bowed and quiet, with sorrow in their eyes. They are all there: the indigent and the affluent, residents of poor neighborhoods and those of luxurious suburbs, religious, Masorti and secular, new immigrants and veterans, descendants from east and west, people with different, contradictory world views.
On this special day, all the barriers fade, and the sense of unity and shared destiny is stronger than at any other time. Memorial Day for Israel's Fallen Soldiers is a sad day, but void of any discord, and very Israeli. Anyone who identifies with this country, its flag and values, anyone whose home is Israel, anyone who is a partner to the essence of life in Israel, even if he is, at this moment, at the other end of the universe, will feel, deep down in his heart, the spirit of this day and will sense the pain. There is almost no one in Israel who is a stranger to the cost of war, no one who will today not remember a family member, a friend or acquaintance from among the fallen. No one in Israel is estranged from the heavy weight of the loss.
Each and every one of you, dear families, has a permanent address, one that belongs only to you, among the rows of stone. A humble, uniform stone, indistinguishable by rank, be it a Private or a Major-General, a small square stone, carved out of rock, carrying identification details. Only you, family members, share the world of your loved one who was lost. You see before you his image, his face, his smile, fragments of moving pictures from different times – a baby growing into a child, a boy, a man, a soldier. The sound of his voice resonates in your memory, and the touch of his hands, his hug, his kiss, are burnt into your soul. The silent stone is adorned with flowers and is moist from the tears, and the longings are endless.
Dear families,
I will not speak words of solace, as there is no remedy for the grief. I will, however, express the nation's unbounded gratitude for the spirit of heroism and sacrifice which your loved ones demonstrated by coming to the defense of this people and this country. Our entire national existence, and the safety and well-being of Israeli citizens, depend upon our willingness to defend ourselves, fight for our just principles and vital interests, respond against our aggressors and foil our enemies' schemes. Your sons and daughters, Israel's fallen soldiers, gave their lives for the most supreme goal, and we, citizens of this country on whose watch they fell, will forever carry in our hearts a debt of honor and glory towards them, and an honest sense of humility and love for you.
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