Today, on Jerusalem Day, we exalt the courage of those who participated in the grueling journey from Ethiopia to Sudan, and from Sudan to Israel. If you seek to know the roots of today's heroes, they are there, among the heroes of this great journey.
Among the Ethiopian Jews who marched hundreds of kilometers under conditions of extreme danger was a seven-year-old boy, Gadi Marsha, of blessed memory, who would later become a tracker officer in the IDF. I became aware of Gadi’s extraordinary story because his character is truly exceptional. It occupies a very prominent place in the story of Ethiopian immigrants. He even merited being memorialized in the children's book Gadi's Tracks.
Gadi Marsha was born in a small village in Ethiopia. In 1979, his parents, Dan and Nurit, sought to fulfill the longing for Zion. They set out on the perilous path with Gadi and two of his sisters. Two full years passed over them amidst natural hazards, predators, robbers, and other hostile elements. But in the face of suffering, it was specifically the spark of love for Jerusalem that pushed them forward to realize the dream.
Nine years after Gadi set foot in Israel, he enlisted in the IDF. The skill he acquired in navigating in nature during those two terrible years guided his path to the Tracking Unit, which is primarily composed of members of the Bedouin community. Gadi went to the Officers' Course, and upon graduation, he became the first Jewish tracker officer in IDF history. He respected his Bedouin soldiers and led his forces from the front as they followed him, scanning for enemy tracks together. Twenty-five years ago, Major Gadi Marsha fell at the Kissufim checkpoint on the Gaza border. He is buried not far from here, in the soil of Mount Herzl. In Gadi's footsteps follow many, many youths of 'Beta Israel.' Their right to be among the builders of the state, among the defenders of the state, that right inspires immense awe.
And again I say to you, I am in awe, in awe. I said ‘commanders and soldiers.’ I must say to you: Female commanders and female soldiers. I am in awe of the heroism, the dedication, and the sacrifice.
Distinguished guests, in my parents' home, I absorbed the justice of the Zionist vision. In later years, I hungrily read the writings of Herzl, who is buried here behind us, Pinsker, Nordau, and Jabotinsky. But when I merited learning the soul-stirring story of Ethiopian Jewry, it wasn't just a story, and not just a path. It was the story of the realization of Zionism with one's feet, in hearts, across generations. I received a practical illustration of the power of Zionist fervor, which led a river of people from Africa to Jerusalem. As it is said in the Book of Deuteronomy: ‘And we went through all that great and terrible wilderness.’
As the Prime Minister of Israel, I bow my head in memory of the thousands of victims who did not survive the hardships of the journey. At the same time, I lead with my colleagues in the government and the Knesset, I must tell you: governments and Knessets. Yes, it continues, as you know, I lead a consistent policy of promoting the Ethiopian community in all fields. Following our extensive work in recent years, the staff for the integration of Ethiopian immigrants into Israeli society recently presented new indices of success. Because we set goals, and we are succeeding.
The rate of those eligible for a high school matriculation certificate among the community's youth has equaled the national average. I remember the gap when we started, and it closed, closed, closed; it has equaled it. I estimate it will also surpass the national average soon.
There has been a surge in the number of students, sons and daughters of Ethiopian families, in programs for the gifted and outstanding.
There has been a sharp rise in the average wage of more than half of the participants in targeted programs for integration into the labor market.
Among the Ethiopian Jews who marched hundreds of kilometers under conditions of extreme danger was a seven-year-old boy, Gadi Marsha, of blessed memory, who would later become a tracker officer in the IDF. I became aware of Gadi’s extraordinary story because his character is truly exceptional. It occupies a very prominent place in the story of Ethiopian immigrants. He even merited being memorialized in the children's book Gadi's Tracks.
Gadi Marsha was born in a small village in Ethiopia. In 1979, his parents, Dan and Nurit, sought to fulfill the longing for Zion. They set out on the perilous path with Gadi and two of his sisters. Two full years passed over them amidst natural hazards, predators, robbers, and other hostile elements. But in the face of suffering, it was specifically the spark of love for Jerusalem that pushed them forward to realize the dream.
Nine years after Gadi set foot in Israel, he enlisted in the IDF. The skill he acquired in navigating in nature during those two terrible years guided his path to the Tracking Unit, which is primarily composed of members of the Bedouin community. Gadi went to the Officers' Course, and upon graduation, he became the first Jewish tracker officer in IDF history. He respected his Bedouin soldiers and led his forces from the front as they followed him, scanning for enemy tracks together. Twenty-five years ago, Major Gadi Marsha fell at the Kissufim checkpoint on the Gaza border. He is buried not far from here, in the soil of Mount Herzl. In Gadi's footsteps follow many, many youths of 'Beta Israel.' Their right to be among the builders of the state, among the defenders of the state, that right inspires immense awe.
And again I say to you, I am in awe, in awe. I said ‘commanders and soldiers.’ I must say to you: Female commanders and female soldiers. I am in awe of the heroism, the dedication, and the sacrifice.
Distinguished guests, in my parents' home, I absorbed the justice of the Zionist vision. In later years, I hungrily read the writings of Herzl, who is buried here behind us, Pinsker, Nordau, and Jabotinsky. But when I merited learning the soul-stirring story of Ethiopian Jewry, it wasn't just a story, and not just a path. It was the story of the realization of Zionism with one's feet, in hearts, across generations. I received a practical illustration of the power of Zionist fervor, which led a river of people from Africa to Jerusalem. As it is said in the Book of Deuteronomy: ‘And we went through all that great and terrible wilderness.’
As the Prime Minister of Israel, I bow my head in memory of the thousands of victims who did not survive the hardships of the journey. At the same time, I lead with my colleagues in the government and the Knesset, I must tell you: governments and Knessets. Yes, it continues, as you know, I lead a consistent policy of promoting the Ethiopian community in all fields. Following our extensive work in recent years, the staff for the integration of Ethiopian immigrants into Israeli society recently presented new indices of success. Because we set goals, and we are succeeding.
The rate of those eligible for a high school matriculation certificate among the community's youth has equaled the national average. I remember the gap when we started, and it closed, closed, closed; it has equaled it. I estimate it will also surpass the national average soon.
There has been a surge in the number of students, sons and daughters of Ethiopian families, in programs for the gifted and outstanding.
There has been a sharp rise in the average wage of more than half of the participants in targeted programs for integration into the labor market.
There has been a closing of social gaps and the strengthening of community resilience, including a decrease in the volume of unnecessary appeals to welfare services.
All of this does not mean we have already reached the ‘rest and the inheritance’. There are ongoing challenges that the government, local authorities, the community leadership, and I, as Prime Minister, face with combined forces. But there is a clear and sharp direction here: We are establishing the optimal integration of Israeli citizens of Ethiopian descent into Israeli society. To this end, we have allocated hundreds of millions of shekels more.
We also made additional decisions that go beyond the material. There is something symbolic in them. It moves me very much. We made another important decision to establish a new Visitors Center here in Jerusalem, a heritage and memorial center that will impart the wondrous story of the 'Beta Israel' aliyah to the entire nation. And other initiatives that I welcome: 'Beit Yerusalem', a spiritual center for Ethiopian Jews, dedicated in the Neve Yaakov neighborhood here in Jerusalem. It even includes a 'Gojo hut', as part of a reconstructed Ethiopian village. And in the city of Ariel, a house for the preservation of the heritage of Ethiopian Jews was also dedicated. We are taking steps, I want all the boys and girls in Israel to know this part, this wondrous part of Israel's heritage and the Zionist heritage in its truest and most essential roots.
In parallel, we are making an effort to locate and preserve sacred texts centuries old. These holy books are a cornerstone asset of an ancient community, traced back to the biblical Tribe of Dan.
My brothers and sisters, who came from Ethiopia, who like you knows that our presence in Jerusalem is not to be taken for granted? Avigdor Hameiri's famous song ‘From the Peak of Mount Scopus’ says: ‘A hundred generations I dreamed of you, to merit seeing the light of your face.’ You dreamed, you merited, you saw the light of Jerusalem, and whoever, to our great sorrow, did not merit it, is with us here today in spirit.
As we mark 59 years since the unification of our capital Jerusalem, we will continue to watch over it. We will continue to guard it, with G-d's help, with all our might. We will do so for ourselves, for our children and grandchildren, for your loved ones, the nation's loved ones, who, as long as there was breath in their bodies, aspired to see the good of Jerusalem. ‘And Judah shall abide forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.’ The memory of those who perished, who came from Ethiopia, will also be enshrined with us in our hearts from generation to generation."
Attached photo credits: Amos Ben-Gershom / Sara Netanyahu
All of this does not mean we have already reached the ‘rest and the inheritance’. There are ongoing challenges that the government, local authorities, the community leadership, and I, as Prime Minister, face with combined forces. But there is a clear and sharp direction here: We are establishing the optimal integration of Israeli citizens of Ethiopian descent into Israeli society. To this end, we have allocated hundreds of millions of shekels more.
We also made additional decisions that go beyond the material. There is something symbolic in them. It moves me very much. We made another important decision to establish a new Visitors Center here in Jerusalem, a heritage and memorial center that will impart the wondrous story of the 'Beta Israel' aliyah to the entire nation. And other initiatives that I welcome: 'Beit Yerusalem', a spiritual center for Ethiopian Jews, dedicated in the Neve Yaakov neighborhood here in Jerusalem. It even includes a 'Gojo hut', as part of a reconstructed Ethiopian village. And in the city of Ariel, a house for the preservation of the heritage of Ethiopian Jews was also dedicated. We are taking steps, I want all the boys and girls in Israel to know this part, this wondrous part of Israel's heritage and the Zionist heritage in its truest and most essential roots.
In parallel, we are making an effort to locate and preserve sacred texts centuries old. These holy books are a cornerstone asset of an ancient community, traced back to the biblical Tribe of Dan.
My brothers and sisters, who came from Ethiopia, who like you knows that our presence in Jerusalem is not to be taken for granted? Avigdor Hameiri's famous song ‘From the Peak of Mount Scopus’ says: ‘A hundred generations I dreamed of you, to merit seeing the light of your face.’ You dreamed, you merited, you saw the light of Jerusalem, and whoever, to our great sorrow, did not merit it, is with us here today in spirit.
As we mark 59 years since the unification of our capital Jerusalem, we will continue to watch over it. We will continue to guard it, with G-d's help, with all our might. We will do so for ourselves, for our children and grandchildren, for your loved ones, the nation's loved ones, who, as long as there was breath in their bodies, aspired to see the good of Jerusalem. ‘And Judah shall abide forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.’ The memory of those who perished, who came from Ethiopia, will also be enshrined with us in our hearts from generation to generation."
Attached photo credits: Amos Ben-Gershom / Sara Netanyahu
Defamation Lawsuit to be Filed against The New York Times
The Prime Minister’s Office, today (Thursday, 14 May 2026):
Following the publication by Nicholas Kristof in The New York Times of one of the most hideous and distorted lies ever published against the State of Israel in the modern press, which also received the backing of the newspaper, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar have instructed the initiation of a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times.
The Prime Minister’s Office, today (Thursday, 14 May 2026):
Following the publication by Nicholas Kristof in The New York Times of one of the most hideous and distorted lies ever published against the State of Israel in the modern press, which also received the backing of the newspaper, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar have instructed the initiation of a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times.
(Communicated by the President’s Spokesperson)
Thursday, 14 May 2026 / 27 Iyar 5786
President Isaac Herzog Addresses State Ceremony Marking 59 Years Since the Liberation and Unification of Jerusalem
President Herzog: “Just as we have safeguarded Jerusalem with strength, we must safeguard it also in spirit, morality, responsibility, and with love of fellow human beings and respect for the faith of the other”
On May 14, 2026, President Isaac Herzog delivered remarks at the state ceremony marking 59 years since the liberation and unification of Jerusalem, held at Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem.
President Isaac Herzog:
“Jerusalem is not only a symbol. Anyone who sees in it only a symbol misses Jerusalem. Jerusalem is so wondrous because it is alive. Because in the shadow of the ancient stones, children play. Because alongside the grand sweep of history, there are small, tangible, daily lives. And this, perhaps, is Jerusalem's great secret: it does not ask us to choose between memory and life. It demands that we carry both together. To remember the fallen, and to build homes; to safeguard the holy places, and to develop every sphere of life.
“This evening, we stand on the threshold of the sixtieth year of the city's reunification. More years have passed in the State of Israel with a united Jerusalem than with a divided one. We have already proven to the entire world that we will never give up on Jerusalem and its past. Now is the time to prove to ourselves that we are capable of proudly shaping its future as well.
“Just as we have safeguarded it with strength, we must safeguard it also in spirit, in morality, in responsibility, in love of fellow human beings and respect for the faith of the other, respect for their way of life. We will safeguard Jerusalem out of a readiness to see in this city not only our past, but also our test. For a united Jerusalem is not only a political fact, it is a national mission.
“We will ensure that every young woman and young man in Jerusalem, from every neighborhood and every community, knows that they are part of this city's future. We will ensure that every child knows the other as well, and learns to respect them.”
Attached photo credits: Haim Zach (GPO)
Benjamin Lee, benjaminl@president.gov.il, 050-6169572
Thursday, 14 May 2026 / 27 Iyar 5786
President Isaac Herzog Addresses State Ceremony Marking 59 Years Since the Liberation and Unification of Jerusalem
President Herzog: “Just as we have safeguarded Jerusalem with strength, we must safeguard it also in spirit, morality, responsibility, and with love of fellow human beings and respect for the faith of the other”
On May 14, 2026, President Isaac Herzog delivered remarks at the state ceremony marking 59 years since the liberation and unification of Jerusalem, held at Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem.
President Isaac Herzog:
“Jerusalem is not only a symbol. Anyone who sees in it only a symbol misses Jerusalem. Jerusalem is so wondrous because it is alive. Because in the shadow of the ancient stones, children play. Because alongside the grand sweep of history, there are small, tangible, daily lives. And this, perhaps, is Jerusalem's great secret: it does not ask us to choose between memory and life. It demands that we carry both together. To remember the fallen, and to build homes; to safeguard the holy places, and to develop every sphere of life.
“This evening, we stand on the threshold of the sixtieth year of the city's reunification. More years have passed in the State of Israel with a united Jerusalem than with a divided one. We have already proven to the entire world that we will never give up on Jerusalem and its past. Now is the time to prove to ourselves that we are capable of proudly shaping its future as well.
“Just as we have safeguarded it with strength, we must safeguard it also in spirit, in morality, in responsibility, in love of fellow human beings and respect for the faith of the other, respect for their way of life. We will safeguard Jerusalem out of a readiness to see in this city not only our past, but also our test. For a united Jerusalem is not only a political fact, it is a national mission.
“We will ensure that every young woman and young man in Jerusalem, from every neighborhood and every community, knows that they are part of this city's future. We will ensure that every child knows the other as well, and learns to respect them.”
Attached photo credits: Haim Zach (GPO)
Benjamin Lee, benjaminl@president.gov.il, 050-6169572
euromed english.pdf
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Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Exposes Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor’s Terrorist Ties to Hamas
Organization Activity: Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor May 2026
Please see the attached PDF file for the study on the organization.
Media Contact:
Roni Niv, Head of Communications & Spokesperson; Diaspora Affairs and Combatting Antisemitism Ministry: 050-2221862 & dover@pmo.gov.il
Organization Activity: Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor May 2026
Please see the attached PDF file for the study on the organization.
Media Contact:
Roni Niv, Head of Communications & Spokesperson; Diaspora Affairs and Combatting Antisemitism Ministry: 050-2221862 & dover@pmo.gov.il
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Fallen Soldier Staff Sgt. Negev Dagan
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this morning (Friday, 15 May 2026), [translated from Hebrew]:
"Along with all citizens of Israel, my wife and I share in the heavy loss and send our deepest condolences to the family of Golani Brigade fighter, Staff Sgt. Negev Dagan, of blessed memory, who fell in battle in southern Lebanon.
We all embrace his family and dear ones at this hour of grief, and salute the heroism and courage with which Negev, of blessed memory, has fought to defend our country.
May his memory be blessed and cherished forever.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this morning (Friday, 15 May 2026), [translated from Hebrew]:
"Along with all citizens of Israel, my wife and I share in the heavy loss and send our deepest condolences to the family of Golani Brigade fighter, Staff Sgt. Negev Dagan, of blessed memory, who fell in battle in southern Lebanon.
We all embrace his family and dear ones at this hour of grief, and salute the heroism and courage with which Negev, of blessed memory, has fought to defend our country.
May his memory be blessed and cherished forever.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks at the Festive Event at Mercaz HaRav Yeshiva, Marking 59 Years since the Unification of Jerusalem
Benjamin Netanyahu, yesterday evening (Thursday, 14 May 2026) [translated from Hebrew]:
"I don’t know if you know this, but I am a Levite. One hundred percent on this side, one hundred percent on that side. And when a Levite comes to the house of a Kohein he feels at home!
My dear friends, lovers of Jerusalem. My wife Sara and I always feel at home in this house, at home! I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the warm welcome, which always leaves a lasting mark on us, from visit to visit, G-d willing. I thank, first and foremost, our host, the head of the 'Mercaz HaRav' Yeshiva, a giant in Torah, a faithful friend, Rabbi Yaakov Shapira.
Honorable head of the yeshiva, the image of your late father, Chief Rabbi Avraham Shapira, of blessed memory, stands before my eyes in this important hall. I remember our many meetings. I remember the light that radiated from his eyes. His smile, his wisdom, his love for Israel. He always strengthened me. You always strengthen me. You and your wife always strengthen me! And so, the image of another Torah scholar from this Yeshiva also stands before me: Rabbi of Jerusalem, Rabbi Aryeh Stern, of blessed memory, from whom we parted with deep sorrow a few days ago.
Distinguished Rabbis and rabbinical court judges. My dear friends the Ministers, my colleagues, and Members of Knesset, my colleagues, past and present. The present is also in the past, and the past organizes the present. Mayor of Jerusalem, Moshe Lion. Students of the Yeshiva. I am happy to see you all here on Jerusalem’s holiday.
This is a bit different from the last time I visited 'Mercaz HaRav'. It was this past Purim, at the start of Operation Roaring Lion.' Rabbi Shapira and I, with my wife Sara, and our children Yair and Avner, had the merit to read the Book of Esther here. We felt then, and I am sure each of you did from your own place, the rustle of the wings of history. The oppressor back then in Persia, and today’s oppressor of today in Persia, both sought to destroy us. Both have vanished.
Benjamin Netanyahu, yesterday evening (Thursday, 14 May 2026) [translated from Hebrew]:
"I don’t know if you know this, but I am a Levite. One hundred percent on this side, one hundred percent on that side. And when a Levite comes to the house of a Kohein he feels at home!
My dear friends, lovers of Jerusalem. My wife Sara and I always feel at home in this house, at home! I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the warm welcome, which always leaves a lasting mark on us, from visit to visit, G-d willing. I thank, first and foremost, our host, the head of the 'Mercaz HaRav' Yeshiva, a giant in Torah, a faithful friend, Rabbi Yaakov Shapira.
Honorable head of the yeshiva, the image of your late father, Chief Rabbi Avraham Shapira, of blessed memory, stands before my eyes in this important hall. I remember our many meetings. I remember the light that radiated from his eyes. His smile, his wisdom, his love for Israel. He always strengthened me. You always strengthen me. You and your wife always strengthen me! And so, the image of another Torah scholar from this Yeshiva also stands before me: Rabbi of Jerusalem, Rabbi Aryeh Stern, of blessed memory, from whom we parted with deep sorrow a few days ago.
Distinguished Rabbis and rabbinical court judges. My dear friends the Ministers, my colleagues, and Members of Knesset, my colleagues, past and present. The present is also in the past, and the past organizes the present. Mayor of Jerusalem, Moshe Lion. Students of the Yeshiva. I am happy to see you all here on Jerusalem’s holiday.
This is a bit different from the last time I visited 'Mercaz HaRav'. It was this past Purim, at the start of Operation Roaring Lion.' Rabbi Shapira and I, with my wife Sara, and our children Yair and Avner, had the merit to read the Book of Esther here. We felt then, and I am sure each of you did from your own place, the rustle of the wings of history. The oppressor back then in Persia, and today’s oppressor of today in Persia, both sought to destroy us. Both have vanished.
Because at the moment of truth, we stood tall. We brought the war back to our enemies' gates. We defended our existence with infinite determination. What did I hear being sung here? 'Forever, forever, forever.'
In the past two years, we have shown the entire world what mighty powers are inherent in our people, in our country, in our army, in our heritage. We rose like a lion cub. We roared like a lion. And do you know what the greatest thing we did was? We did many, many great things. The greatest thing is that we broke the barrier of fear. We do not huddle in our own four cubits. We go out into the expanse. We initiate, we act, we attack, we crush our enemies. And the 'Young Lion of Judah' has struck those who seek our lives with unprecedented blows.
We brought home all our hostages, down to the very last one. There were those who said: 'Get out, get out!' We did not get out. Today we control 60%, tomorrow we shall see. We distanced from ourselves, as Rabbi Shapira said a few minutes ago, an immediate existential danger of nuclear bombs and thousands of ballistic missiles, which Iran developed. And I want to tell you, this must be understood, my fellow Ministers know this: Had we not done so, Iran would have at least one atomic bomb today, and they might have been on the way to an arsenal, but it did not happen. We rose like a lion, we roared like a lion, and we do not stretch our necks out to the slaughterer. That thing has ended in the history of our people. The campaign is not yet over, but it is already clear that we have changed the history of the State of Israel. And simultaneously, as I promised we would, we have also changed the Middle East!
The People of Israel know how to fight back, because the consciousness of struggle has accompanied us for thousands of years. As was said of our forefather Jacob: 'And a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.' The dawn is constantly stretching until the next dawn. We are a people that knows how to struggle. Nothing, nothing have we achieved easily. Nothing we received is self-evident. We survived the upheavals of time—thanks to the struggle. We established our state, thanks to the struggle. We maintained our independence, thanks to the struggle. We unified Jerusalem, our capital, in a miraculous defensive war 59 years ago, thanks to the struggle.
And who is greater to us than Rabbi Kook (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/abraham-isaac-kook/), may the memory of the righteous be a blessing, whose writings are saturated with faith in the success of the struggle! Rabbi Kook, among the giants of the national revival, spoke much in praise of the struggle against foreign cultures, and also against the forces of tyranny and oppression. He believed that the sublime spirit of our people, that this spirit would stand by us in every test, in every test—of renewing our days as of old in our land.
I want to share with you: Rabbi Kook’s genius in Torah is well known. The immense diligence that characterized him, added to the love of Israel, is familiar to many. But I always look for a concrete innovation. I seek inspiring ideas that have a practical relevance to the reality of our lives in the present.
In the past two years, we have shown the entire world what mighty powers are inherent in our people, in our country, in our army, in our heritage. We rose like a lion cub. We roared like a lion. And do you know what the greatest thing we did was? We did many, many great things. The greatest thing is that we broke the barrier of fear. We do not huddle in our own four cubits. We go out into the expanse. We initiate, we act, we attack, we crush our enemies. And the 'Young Lion of Judah' has struck those who seek our lives with unprecedented blows.
We brought home all our hostages, down to the very last one. There were those who said: 'Get out, get out!' We did not get out. Today we control 60%, tomorrow we shall see. We distanced from ourselves, as Rabbi Shapira said a few minutes ago, an immediate existential danger of nuclear bombs and thousands of ballistic missiles, which Iran developed. And I want to tell you, this must be understood, my fellow Ministers know this: Had we not done so, Iran would have at least one atomic bomb today, and they might have been on the way to an arsenal, but it did not happen. We rose like a lion, we roared like a lion, and we do not stretch our necks out to the slaughterer. That thing has ended in the history of our people. The campaign is not yet over, but it is already clear that we have changed the history of the State of Israel. And simultaneously, as I promised we would, we have also changed the Middle East!
The People of Israel know how to fight back, because the consciousness of struggle has accompanied us for thousands of years. As was said of our forefather Jacob: 'And a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.' The dawn is constantly stretching until the next dawn. We are a people that knows how to struggle. Nothing, nothing have we achieved easily. Nothing we received is self-evident. We survived the upheavals of time—thanks to the struggle. We established our state, thanks to the struggle. We maintained our independence, thanks to the struggle. We unified Jerusalem, our capital, in a miraculous defensive war 59 years ago, thanks to the struggle.
And who is greater to us than Rabbi Kook (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/abraham-isaac-kook/), may the memory of the righteous be a blessing, whose writings are saturated with faith in the success of the struggle! Rabbi Kook, among the giants of the national revival, spoke much in praise of the struggle against foreign cultures, and also against the forces of tyranny and oppression. He believed that the sublime spirit of our people, that this spirit would stand by us in every test, in every test—of renewing our days as of old in our land.
I want to share with you: Rabbi Kook’s genius in Torah is well known. The immense diligence that characterized him, added to the love of Israel, is familiar to many. But I always look for a concrete innovation. I seek inspiring ideas that have a practical relevance to the reality of our lives in the present.
And today, before I arrived here, I carefully read a fascinating article by Rabbi Kook 94 years ago. The article is called 'To Add Courage.' In this article, Rabbi Kook likens the process of building the Land of Israel to digging a deep well. To obtain water in an arid land, one must invest effort. But when you start digging in the ground, with labor, with sweat, sometimes also with blood, some of the diggers get tired and quit the work. Rabbi Kook calls them, I love this phrase, Rabbi Kook calls them: 'The weary of body and the weak of soul.' Sound familiar? They despair, but we continue. It's not over yet, because after further digging, the first stream of water bursts forth. But this water is murky, full of sludge and sand. Again, there are those who throw up their hands. They say: 'All the effort we invested, this effort was in vain. Let's go our way.' But in contrast to them, the one who does not despair, the one who clings to the path, the one who believes in the renewal and realization of the vision, is the one who will find pure and clear water in the depths of the well. The difficulties, writes Rabbi Kook, the difficulties will not weaken our hands. Even if massive obstacles stand in our way, we will not be afraid, and we will not be deterred!
My dear honored guests, this is also my way, as the Prime Minister of Israel. This is the policy that I and my colleagues here lead, to march the State of Israel forward. Our mission is to ensure, with G-d's help, the eternity of Israel!
And I want to add regarding Rabbi Kook's teachings: This is the Torah of the Land of Israel at its best. Rabbi Kook understood a fundamental thing: The Torah that was shaped in the Diaspora is important, but in its character, it addresses the individual, the community. In the Land of Israel, he understood, we need a renewal of Torah: A Torah that addresses all parts of the nation. A Torah that is required for national challenges. A Torah that is connected to Zionism, to the ingathering of the exiles, to security, to settlement, to economy, to education, to culture. A Torah that gives strength to deal with the difficulties, out of the understanding that we are in a process of redemption! Nothing less than that, a process of redemption, as the prophets prophesied. As we came here for the ingathering of exiles to redeem our people, to ensure the eternity of Israel.
This outlook is a connecting thread, one of many, between Rabbi Kook, and my grandfather, Rabbi Nathan Mileikowsky-Netanyahu. There was a very close connection between them. Rabbi Kook eulogized my grandfather Nathan in a moving eulogy, and every time I read it, I am moved anew. The close connection between them was based, among other things, on understanding the magnitude of the hour, in the years between the two World Wars: Either the People of Israel will continue to wallow in the pains of the Diaspora, weak and beaten, or it will take its fate into its own hands, struggle for its liberation from the foreign yoke, and march upright on the soil of the homeland while drawing from the waters of Judaism. Generations have passed now, not just years. And reality clearly proves, who was wrong and who was right. Who was struck by despair, gave up and fled, and who added courage, found pure water and received reward for his labor.
My dear honored guests, this is also my way, as the Prime Minister of Israel. This is the policy that I and my colleagues here lead, to march the State of Israel forward. Our mission is to ensure, with G-d's help, the eternity of Israel!
And I want to add regarding Rabbi Kook's teachings: This is the Torah of the Land of Israel at its best. Rabbi Kook understood a fundamental thing: The Torah that was shaped in the Diaspora is important, but in its character, it addresses the individual, the community. In the Land of Israel, he understood, we need a renewal of Torah: A Torah that addresses all parts of the nation. A Torah that is required for national challenges. A Torah that is connected to Zionism, to the ingathering of the exiles, to security, to settlement, to economy, to education, to culture. A Torah that gives strength to deal with the difficulties, out of the understanding that we are in a process of redemption! Nothing less than that, a process of redemption, as the prophets prophesied. As we came here for the ingathering of exiles to redeem our people, to ensure the eternity of Israel.
This outlook is a connecting thread, one of many, between Rabbi Kook, and my grandfather, Rabbi Nathan Mileikowsky-Netanyahu. There was a very close connection between them. Rabbi Kook eulogized my grandfather Nathan in a moving eulogy, and every time I read it, I am moved anew. The close connection between them was based, among other things, on understanding the magnitude of the hour, in the years between the two World Wars: Either the People of Israel will continue to wallow in the pains of the Diaspora, weak and beaten, or it will take its fate into its own hands, struggle for its liberation from the foreign yoke, and march upright on the soil of the homeland while drawing from the waters of Judaism. Generations have passed now, not just years. And reality clearly proves, who was wrong and who was right. Who was struck by despair, gave up and fled, and who added courage, found pure water and received reward for his labor.
And that is exactly what happened 59 years ago: Shortly before the Six-Day War, Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook, of blessed memory, cried out for the regions of our land that were not in our hands. And then a few days later came the War of Salvation, the War of Deliverance. Jerusalem once again became a city that was joined together. The nation's holy sites in Judea and Samaria returned to our hands. I just told the story at Ammunition Hill that I remember the tremor in my soul when I heard Motta Gur say 'The Temple Mount is in our hands,' but that tremor continued when we reached the Western Wall, and a massive river of people flowed there, a massive force that flowed there. And then all the districts of the Bible, in Judea and Samaria, I remember we moved from site to site. We held a Bible in hand, and the Bible was alive, because the People of Israel live and the Land of Israel is their land; we returned to our birthplaces, we returned to our places, we returned to our land. Was it an uplifting of spirit? No. It is an uplifting of spirit every time I go to the districts of our homeland in the Land of Israel, in Judea and Samaria, this is our land and it will always be our land! So 59 years ago, we removed the stranglehold of the Arab states. We broke through to the west and the east, the north and the south.
And today, the same thing: we removed the stranglehold of the Iranian axis, we crushed large parts of it, we broke out into the expanse! I know, Rabbi Shapira, that you drill this well into your students: Even if the great ideas are not realized immediately, as if by a magic wand, even then, one must not break. One must continue to dig wells. One must advance with renewed strength. In the end, the truth will prevail. This is what Rabbi Kook the father believed, and so believed Rabbi Kook the son. This is what your father believed, the unforgettable Rabbi Avrum Shapira, and this is what you believe. This is what my grandfather and father believed, and this is what I myself believe: 'Forever, forever, forever.' The road is long and we are winning on it.
Distinguished guests, friends, not long ago you marked one hundred years since the establishment of the Mercaz HaRav Yeshiva. It was not for nothing that it was called at its founding – 'The Central Universal Yeshiva.' There was a vision for the distances here. And indeed, one cannot imagine the world of Torah in Israel without the 'Mercaz HaRav' Yeshiva. This hall of study is full of a constant fire of wisdom and knowledge. Old and new merge in it, spirit and action, values and fulfillment. Many of my wonderful friends who serve with me in the governments of Israel, and in the Knessets of Israel, drew inspiration from this house, from this spirit, and I thank them for the great support, for our united effort together, for the way you enlist without hesitation, with the understanding that we are fighting together for something sublime. And if you think I am saying idle words, hollow words, it is not so. I want to tell you that I sit with the dear friends who are here, and also with some who are not here, and the matter us, unites us. And that is not a self-evident thing in political life, but for us, for each of us, it is indeed self-evident. Because we know what we are fighting for.
On Jerusalem Day, as a great Torah goes forth from Zion, I wish you that you shall rise higher and higher. And I, together with my wife Sara, am always with you in heart and soul. A happy holiday to you. A happy holiday to Jerusalem. A happy holiday to the People of Israel! May you be greatly blessed. Thank you very much!”
Attached photo credits: Amos Ben-Gershom (GPO)
And today, the same thing: we removed the stranglehold of the Iranian axis, we crushed large parts of it, we broke out into the expanse! I know, Rabbi Shapira, that you drill this well into your students: Even if the great ideas are not realized immediately, as if by a magic wand, even then, one must not break. One must continue to dig wells. One must advance with renewed strength. In the end, the truth will prevail. This is what Rabbi Kook the father believed, and so believed Rabbi Kook the son. This is what your father believed, the unforgettable Rabbi Avrum Shapira, and this is what you believe. This is what my grandfather and father believed, and this is what I myself believe: 'Forever, forever, forever.' The road is long and we are winning on it.
Distinguished guests, friends, not long ago you marked one hundred years since the establishment of the Mercaz HaRav Yeshiva. It was not for nothing that it was called at its founding – 'The Central Universal Yeshiva.' There was a vision for the distances here. And indeed, one cannot imagine the world of Torah in Israel without the 'Mercaz HaRav' Yeshiva. This hall of study is full of a constant fire of wisdom and knowledge. Old and new merge in it, spirit and action, values and fulfillment. Many of my wonderful friends who serve with me in the governments of Israel, and in the Knessets of Israel, drew inspiration from this house, from this spirit, and I thank them for the great support, for our united effort together, for the way you enlist without hesitation, with the understanding that we are fighting together for something sublime. And if you think I am saying idle words, hollow words, it is not so. I want to tell you that I sit with the dear friends who are here, and also with some who are not here, and the matter us, unites us. And that is not a self-evident thing in political life, but for us, for each of us, it is indeed self-evident. Because we know what we are fighting for.
On Jerusalem Day, as a great Torah goes forth from Zion, I wish you that you shall rise higher and higher. And I, together with my wife Sara, am always with you in heart and soul. A happy holiday to you. A happy holiday to Jerusalem. A happy holiday to the People of Israel! May you be greatly blessed. Thank you very much!”
Attached photo credits: Amos Ben-Gershom (GPO)