Jul 17 2006
Thanks to you, our enemies come up against a united nation, which fights together, shoulder to shoulder. We do not surrender and we do not panic. We believe in the justice of our cause, because there is no battle more just or moral than ours – a battle for the right to a peaceful and normal life, like any other human being, any other nation and any other state.We fight for the right of children like Omer Pisachov, may his memory be blessed, a 7 year old from Nahariya, who wanted to visit his grandmother Yehudit Itzkovich, may her memory be blessed, and enjoy the Sabbath dinner she prepared;
We fight for the right of citizens like Shmuel Ben-Shimon, may his memory be blessed, a 41 year old from Yokne'am who left every morning for work in the railway garage in Haifa to support his wife Natalie and their small children;
We fight for the right of citizens like Monica Lerer, may her memory be blessed, a 50 year old from Nahariya, to drink coffee on the terrace in the country to which she immigrated from Argentina;
We fight for the right of girls like Ella Abukasis, may her memory be blessed, a 13 year old from Sderot, to play the flute and read books, as Ella enjoyed doing.
We fight for everything that everyone in the enlightened world takes for granted and never imagined that they would have to fight for – the right to a normal life.
It is a difficult battle! It may become even more difficult. It is a painful test, and we may have to bear more suffering. Such a battle is never easy. It is strewn with pain and suffering, sacrifice, and casualties.
But, we have no intention of giving up our desire to live a normal life. We will not apologize for this desire, and we do not need anyone's approval to defend ourselves.
This is a difficult time of trial for all of us.
The State of Israel has withstood much more complex trials – and triumphed.
We have always known how to mobilize our inner strength, equanimity, wisdom and patience, in order to overcome our enemies.
Finally, I wish to speak on a more personal note to the families of Shalit, Goldwasser and Regev, the families of the soldiers who are held hostage by the Hamas and Hizballah.
You, and mainly your children – our children – are always on my mind.
Last Wednesday, only five days ago, at 10:00 am, Aviva and Noam Shalit sat in my office. They, and I, want Gilad home more than anything. While we were discussing the situation, I – and Aviva and Noam – received the painful news that Ehud (Udi) Goldwasser and Eldad Regev had been kidnapped.
On their departure, Noam and Aviva left a picture of Gilad, taken close to the date of his kidnapping.
Unfortunately, pictures of three boys now stand in my room. Many times during the day I look in their faces, into their eyes, and embrace them in my heart. I do not forget them for one minute. They were there on our behalf and for our sake. We will do everything and make every effort to bring them home. We will do this, but not in a pattern that will encourage more kidnappings.
There is almost no one who can understand the place you are in. Even when we do not talk directly, I feel and hear what you want to say to me, and I embrace you with love, understanding and agreement.
The place I am in compels me, ultimately, to make fateful decisions, for life, and sometimes even for death.
I have no strength other than that which you have bestowed upon me.
I have no courage other than that which G-d, my faith in the justice of our cause and my sense of supreme responsibility, have instilled in me and have prepared me for these fateful moments.
I see before me the kidnapped boys, those standing in the front line and in the line of fire, those brave and determined ones who are fighting today and who could – G-d forbid – be the target of tomorrow’s kidnapping.
We will defend all of them, on behalf of all of them we will fight, and with all of them before our eyes – the civilians in the line of fire, the kidnapped fighters and their families – we will continue, without hesitating, without capitulating and without fretting, until our goals are achieved.
I wish to conclude by reading an extract from Prophet Jeremiah:
“Thus said G-d: a voice is heard on high, wailing, bitter weeping, Rachel weeps for her children; she refuses to be consoled for her children, for they are gone.
Thus said G-d: restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; for there is reward for your accomplishment – the word of G-d – and they will return from the enemy’s land.
There is hope for your future – the word of G-d;
And your children will return to their land."
We will triumph!
