Speech by the President of Israel at the Opening of the Knesset Session

Honored citizens of Israel, Prime Minister, Knesset Speaker, Acting Supreme Court President, Opposition Head, Ministers, and Knesset Members.

There are few moments in the life of a nation when so much is at stake, when the nation’s heart beats as one; and when these rare moments occur, they entail enormous responsibility.

I wish to dedicate my words here, at the opening of this session of the Knesset, the emblem of Israel’s sovereignty and independence, to the scorched, slaughtered, and displaced family; the family whose destroyed home we visited yesterday, where the odor of death still hangs in the air, where blood is spattered in every corner – beneath pictures of children and grandchildren whose fate remains unknown.

I dedicate these words to the bereaved families, including the family of Roey, the brave soldier who was mortally wounded, whose parents asked me and Michal to be with them in the hospital, at his bedside, in his final moments, those agonizing moments of parting; as his twin brother, also a soldier, in uniform, embraces him and refuses to take leave.

I speak to you, citizens of Israel, from the seat of our rebirth. I speak to the families of the abducted and the missing, of all who remain in that terrible darkness. I speak to the heroic residents of the South and of the Gaza Envelope, to those who were evacuated from their homes and are staying throughout the country. I speak to the wounded, both physically and mentally – those who now face days, months, and even years of recovery.

I speak to you, IDF soldiers, members of the police force, of the ISA, and of security forces imperil their lives for us, and to your anxious yet supportive families; I speak to the medical teams, nursing staffs, first responders, emergency crews, and welfare agents. We love you. We salute you.

I speak to you, residents of the North, who are once again demonstrating toughness, resilience, and equanimity. I speak to you, my enraged, hurting sisters and brothers, who have lost confidence and demand a response. I speak to the whole of Israeli society – its Jewish daughters and sons, and its Arab daughters and sons – who have shown responsibility and fortitude in these times. I speak to the entire Jewish people – in Israel and abroad.

An entire nation presently grieves. We are all mourning “youthful radiance and courageous relish” – in the words of the Yizkor poem penned by Berel Katznelson, a founding father of the Labor Movement, for whom Kibbutz Beeri, which lost so many members to this terrible massacre, is named.

Our enemy’s ruthless attack targeted the Jewish people, but it did not differentiate between bloodlines. There is hardly a home in Israel that has not been affected by the ripples of the excruciating tragedy that we are enduring. The families and communities that have been gravely wounded reflect a beautiful and grief-stricken Israeli mosaic. “One human tapestry,” in Hava Alberstein’s words, of Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze, and Circassians; from kibbutzim and towns, moshavim and cities; religious, secular, traditional, and Haredi; Israelis and citizens of other states. At the hands of evildoers, they fell on their way to the synagogue, at home, in military bases and posts, or at a party filled with happiness and hope. The depth of our shared sorrow proves: we are all one Israeli people.

There are few moments in the life of a nation when so much is at stake. And when these rare moments occur, they bring along the greatest heroes.

We stand now, in mourning, and yet, at the very same time, we are filled with pride in the remarkable Israeli people. In response to the atrocious attack of murderous organizations, the Israeli people rose up in all its grandeur. It rose up on the battlefront, in the form of steadfast citizens, tactical response teams, civilian security coordinators, soldiers, and police officers, who, in acts of mindboggling self-sacrifice, fought back at the gates. They battled, they saved lives, and they gave up lives. They all gathered, and they all fought – to the last bullet, to the last breath. And we are still fighting!

But the heroism did not end there. The Israeli people rose up and fought at emergency, rescue, and medical centers. The Israeli people rose up and fought alongside local governments, which demonstrated might and fortitude, and alongside remarkable welfare and mental health professionals.

The Israeli people and the Jewish people from throughout the world have scaled the heights of generosity, volunteerism, love, brotherhood, peace, and friendship. Yes, that friendship that, according to Haim Goury, “we carried wordlessly” – now carries us, uniting and unifying us. This amazing Israeli people, our people, rose up with enormous pride, its chest puffed out, and with an unmatched sense of mutual responsibility. Simply put, we are an amazing, wonderful people, a people with an infinite thirst for life, a people that knows that it has no other choice, no other land, and no other state. We are a nation that knows and declares: You cannot defeat us. We are one people, a solid fist. We are the eternal people, and we will be victorious.

Everyone speaks of complexity, but this moment is not complicated. It is absolute good versus absolute evil, light versus dark. The entire world – the whole world! – stands today behind the forces of light, behind the IDF and our security forces, as they stand guard over our country and risk their lives to destroy the absolute darkness and evil, with God’s help.

We are not alone in this war. We are fighting the war of the family of nations – of all who seek justice, peace, and liberty – against an enemy that has shown that humankind and humanity are its foes. We are profoundly grateful to our allies around the world, foremost among them the American people – under the leadership of United States President Joe Biden, a true lover of Israel, and of both sides of the aisle in the US Congress – and to the leaders of Europe, for their uncompromising support and unwavering stance on the right side of history.

Members of the Knesset, there are few moments in the life of a nation when so much is at stake; and when these moments occur, as said, they entail enormous responsibility.

The demands and expectations of the remarkable Israeli people are justified. It has expectations of us – its leadership. It has expectations of this house, the Knesset. Simply put: we must not leave this war the way we entered it. This is true at the state level, at the security level, at the internal Israeli socio-political level. There is a clear and fundamental obligation to undertake penetrating inquiries, conduct investigations of every sort, reach conclusions, and learn lessons. No one doubts or questions this. It is vital for any life-affirming country that has endured such an awful disaster. This cannot, however, impair the war effort.

This does not exhaust the people’s expectations. A great many Israelis are frustrated, angry, hurting. There is a crisis of confidence in the state, and we must address it and act accordingly, with all prudent speed. The state and its institutions must live up to the standards that this amazing, remarkable people sets in challenging times. The people demands responsibility in restoring security and repairing confidence; in rebuilding damaged communities and families; in rehabilitating those whose world has been destroyed. It demands that we listen to it – even when it is anger – and acknowledge its pain, trauma, loss, and sense of abandonment; it demands that we reach out; it demands that we stand together.

Even now, in the heat of the battle, as we are still burying our dead, I hear dangerous, increasingly loud voices that drag the entire country down – into the ‘maw of the abyss’ (Jeremiah 48:28) – and begin to sow the seeds of hatred and discord. This must not happen. It cannot. Our enemies are eager for any hint of polarization among us. It is a part of their strategy. And you, ladies and gentlemen, have a critical role in the important duty of keeping us together. This house must mirror the sense of unity among our people at this time, the understanding that right now there are matters that transcend our divisions.

Sisters and brothers, there are few moments in the life of a nation when so much is at stake; we are in the midst of such a moment. We must grow from this moment, as it is written: “It is a time of trouble for Jacob, but he shall be delivered from it” (Jeremiah 30:7). This dark time must become our finest hour. And if there is a people who knows how to grow from destruction, it is our people. We will show the whole world. We will win, showing that grain can grow again and again and again. We will win, showing that the South can be protected and can flourish once again. We will win, showing that we can overcome any hell and transform it into paradise. We will win, and wherever a home and community has been destroyed – we will rebuild and be rebuilt. We will win, and we will do it – together.