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Honorable President of the State of Israel, Shimon Peres,
Speaker of the Knesset, Reuven Rivlin,
Honorable Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Dorit Beinish,
Honorable Chief Rabbis,
Representatives of the Diplomatic Corps,
Mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat,
Chief of General Staff, Gabi Ashkenazi,
Police Commissioner, Dudi Cohen,
Commanders of the IDF,
Officers of the Israel Police and Representatives of the Security Forces,
Bereaved Families,
This mountain, in the heart of Jerusalem, is the resting place of many thousands of Israel’s heroes.
We are surrounded by rows upon rows of granite headstones. The writing on them is military-straight and laconic – a name, a personal number, the age, the war, the operation. However, behind every headstone are childhood stories, chapters of youth and teenage years, dreams shattered all at once, aspirations that faded away in smoke.
Here, and at all the military cemeteries across the country, right now bereaved family members – mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, orphans and widows – are standing near the graves of our loved ones, who gave their lives for the existence and well-being of the State of Israel.
On this day I speak to you, brothers and sisters, bereaved families, as the Prime Minister of Israel and as the son of a bereaved family.
I know that there is no comfort for bereaved parents, nor can they forget. I know the significance of the death of a beloved and idolized brother who left and never returned.
I know that every day is Memorial Day for bereaved families. Every day of the year, every morning, we wake up to the void that cannot be filled.
However, Memorial Day is not just for the bereaved families. It is for the entire nation. At this hour, the State of Israel and all its citizens surround the families of the fallen, embracing them, bowing their heads to them and remembering the heroes along with them.
We, the bereaved families, continue with our lives in the shadow of grief and loss. Our lives represent the resilience and perseverance of our entire nation.
However, we did not forget our fallen loved ones for even one day – not one day. And the pain… the pain does not lessen.
The force of life propels us onward, and dictates the path our lives take. However, from time to time, we stop, and a pain bursts forth and flays us, overwhelming us and at that moment we stand and weep, helpless.
The State of Israel needs a day of remembrance. We are a people who always tie our future to our past, our hopes with memory, our independence with the price of our freedom.
The huge change that occurred with regard to the fate of our people upon our return to our homeland was the rediscovery of the Jewish defensive strength. This is the same strength that we had lost during our exile, when we were a people scattered across the globe, persecuted and helpless. The establishment of the State of Israel is also the establishment of the Israel Defense Forces, and from that moment on, we took our fate in our hands and stood tall.
The thing that has changed is not the hatred of Jews; what has changed is our ability to defend ourselves from that hate. And today, here in Jerusalem, I say to you, the bereaved families and every citizen of Israel – we will never abandon our fate again. We will never lose our defensive strength.
Our hand is extended in peace to all our neighbors, but our enemies should not misunderstand us. We will never compromise our security – the security of the State of Israel. This is our duty to the fallen; this is our duty to the citizens of Israel; this is our duty to the coming generations.
Therefore, a moment before Independence Day, we must pause in our lives and remember our heroes, thanks to whom our people enjoy independence, a State and defensive strength. Thanks to the fallen, we have realized the hope we cherished for two thousand years, to be a free people in our own land, the land of Zion and Jerusalem.
May the memories of the fallen be blessed.
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