Reviewing the developments of the past year, the president expressed hope that the long yearned-for peace negotiations will yields results. He called for patience and understanding of the processes involved. The bulk of his remarks dealt with domestic issues. Text:
Citizens of Israel, my brothers and sisters,
Again the wheel has turned and, once again, brought us to the eve of Rosh Hashana [New Year's Day] - the day of soul-searching for individuals and for society. And, when we make our reckoning, we cannot ignore the fact that we are a generation privileged to live in a period replete with upheavals - in the world at large, as well as in our small corner, the State of Israel.
We are a society that lives in a dynamic, fervent state; few are the societies which resemble it, both in terms of its achievements and of the permutations it experiences during the course of one year. We are a society struggling to mold its national image in the shadow of economic difficulties and security threats, while - at the same time - we constitute a home and a melting pot for [those of] the Jewish Diaspora who are immigrating and becoming rooted among us.
And yet, the command "seek peace and pursue it" remains before our eyes. For many years, we longed for [peace] and wished it for ourselves. Ever since the establishment of the state, there has never been a [New Year's greeting] which did not wish for peace.
And, indeed, it has happened, and - since the signing of the peace treaty with Egypt - there has not been one family in Israel which weeps for an IDF soldier fallen in combat with the Egyptian army, just as there is not one Egyptian [mother] crying for a son fallen on our common border. The peace process now being conducted - both in the bilateral talks, as well as in the multilateral talks expresses the hope of which we have dreamed for many years. The peace process is not easy or simple and, alongside the hopes, natural fears and anxieties are harbored in each of our hearts. Let us not lose our hope or our composure. Let us not expect that a conflict which is so complicated, loaded and prolonged will come to an end and be solved in the wink of an eye. The peace talks may continue for months, if not years, until we reach agreements. It is still too early to speak of the price of peace. I am convinced that considerations of our security and our future serve as a candle to those who bear [the weight of] national responsibility. In the final analysis, we live in a democratic country -- wherein the opinion of the majority, following a free public debate, will determine [outcomes]. We all pray for the desired peace that will finally bring an end to the military funerals, and to the bereaved families who find no comfort in their mourning.
At the same time, let us admit that the cause of the bereavement and orphans is not only that enemy that clashes with us, but we ourselves [as well]. Lack of discipline, negligence, haste and disobedience to directions and instructions has brought and still brings evil tidings of loss and lament to many homes. The madness on the roads and the price of blood it exacts have become a symptom of our daily lives. Let us not deny it - the main reason lies in the phenomena of "showing off," carelessness, and disregard and a lack of consideration toward others. If, to that, we add the number of deaths caused by accidents due to negligence at the work place, we arrive at an astounding number of killed and injured that we inflict upon ourselves.
Let us reflect on the dry and frightening figures. Since last New Year's Day, the number of those injured in road accidents was 36,040, of which about 7,000 were children. The number of those killed was more than 500, of which more than 80 were children. Two classrooms of children who are no more. In this same period, [the number of those] injured in work-related accidents was close to 76,000 workers, of whom 230 were killed. Need I say more about this horrible tragedy?
If the enemy had slain us to this extent, the country would quake. And we would be shaking our foundations. And here, in the face of shocking pictures of entire families - including children and babies - forgotten and vanished, we quietly carry on with our lives. One moment, a content and peaceful family is driving enjoyably and, in an instant, it is gone. Sometimes a child or an infant remains so as to remind us of this awful and unnecessary tragedy. And we ask, how long will we restrain [ourselves]? Does humanity not have enough power to stop this terrible slaughter?
We are an open society which seeks justice and I believe we all agree that we have been blessed with an independent and magnificent judicial system. Even so, I must mention - on the eve of the Day of Judgment, on which every creature goes on trial
the worrisome phenomenon of delayed sentencing caused by our legal system.
Our courts do not enjoy the appropriate administrative backing and support in order for justice to be done and heralded. Litigants wait - for years - for treatment of their cases. Just one week ago, we heard of a delay of about half a million cases. Trials are prolonged for long torturous periods. Every year, a quarter of a million criminal cases are opened, as are three-quarters of a million traffic cases. Imagine one million cases. In other words, a file is opened for every second adult citizen every year. We cannot tolerate this phenomenon. Too large a percentage of detainees does not go to trial. Too many people are tainted, when their most precious possession their good name - is taken from them and released by the media prior to trial. Conditions of arrest and [in the] prisons disgrace and shame our society.
All of us together must tend a shoulder so that we can live in a better, safer, more beautiful and more just society. We are tested by our attitude and degree of benevolence to the elderly, sick, handicapped and unlucky. We are judged by our treatment of the unemployment phenomenon, which is a societal disease - and not just an economic disease - that justifies a national campaign to obliterate it. We are judged by our treatment of immigration. Slowly and gradually, the blessed immigration is becoming absorbed, and every day adds to the growth and strength of our society, our culture and our centrality as a nation. I can only repeat and emphasize that history will judge us in light of our success or failure in this holy mission. We must not fail and it is incumbent upon us to remove, by any means, the unnecessary obstacles en route to full integration in our society for the different ethnic groups; such as the Ethiopians and others.
I have noted some of the negative phenomena which make our lives more difficult, but these phenomena do not cloud the nearly wonderful accomplishments in all walks of our life. Achievements which I have witnessed in my travels throughout the country every week. The Israeli economy - despite the unemployment biting at us is developing in very promising directions. The network of the foreign relations of Israel is bursting borders. Immigration - despite all the difficulties - is becoming increasingly absorbed, and we are eagerly anticipating its renewed increase. Creativity in the fields of art, culture, literature, and poetry are flourishing. We are blessed with a free press and with freedom of expression and of criticism. It is doubtful if - ever in history - our country was such a significant center for Torah studies as it is today. Today, as we embark upon a new year, we can allow ourselves to look back with satisfaction at an accomplishment-filled year gone by. We can look forward with hope to a new year of peace and prosperity.
My greetings are sent to IDF soldiers - wherever they are - to the police and security personnel, and to all servants of the state. Let us remember those captured and missing in enemy lands, and let us wish for freedom and good tidings for them and their families. We will not forget them. To every ill and injured person - a blessing of complete recovery. And, to all citizens of Israel, and to the Jewish people in the Diaspora - a prayer that they be inscribed in the Book of Life. Let the old year and its curses be wiped out, let a new year and its blessings begin.