Speaking to the delegates of the 32nd Zionist Congress, the prime minister reiterated Israel's pledge that it is responsible for world Jewry and will do all it can to assist distressed communities if and when in need. He called on the delegates to realize the new international realities: Israel is no longer the "people that dwells alone. " Israel must free itself from the sense of isolation that prevailed for almost half a century. He listed the mayor priorities of his Government in the spheres of the peace process, defense, economy, immigrant absorption and ties with world Jewry. Excerpts:
(...) As the Prime Minister of Israel, I feel responsible not only for its inhabitants. Our responsibility also extends to all Jews throughout the world, be they in Addis Ababa or St. Petersburg. World Jewry should know that we are responsible for them and will do all we can to assist them when they are in need. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants who have come to us in recent years are living proof of the fact that the State of Israel is not only ours; it is also yours. (...)
I was born here, in Jerusalem of gold, of copper and of light. I saw Jerusalem in the days of bloodshed in 1948. 1 saw the hunger, the lack of medicine, the convoys trying to break through to the city. Today, on your way to Jerusalem, you see the rusted armored cars. I remember the names of those who died inside those vehicles. When death stares you in the face, every moment is an eternity. For me, Jerusalem is the Eternal City. Undivided Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, and always will be. All of the Zionist parties are united in the belief that Jerusalem is not a matter for compromise, not a subject for negotiations. It never was and it never will be. (...)
Tomorrow, you return home from Jerusalem. Tell your husbands, your wives, your children, your grandchildren, that a few weeks ago - here, in Jerusalem - a new Government was formed which is trying to open a new chapter in the history of the Jewish state.
It will not be easy, but we are determined to gather all our strength to do whatever is possible to maintain our security; to achieve peace; to prevent war; to eliminate unemployment; to bring in and absorb new immigrants; to promote economic growth; to strengthen democracy; to enforce law and order, and to ensure equality and human rights for all. (...)
This Government wants to focus on peace and it is willing to do quite a lot in order to give it a chance.
We went to war only when we could bear it no longer, when the sword was already pressing against our necks and we had no other choice. We did everything, everything, to avert war before we ordered our troops to go to battle. I knew then - just as I know today -- that, after the order is given, there will be many more brave soldiers who will never return home. Only those who, for so long - year in and year out - have had to face the tens of thousands of silent people in our cemeteries on our Memorial Day, only those who have seen families devastated know the terrible price of war. As one who is today Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, I never again want to issue the order to go to war, unless there is no other choice.
But, even before peace, the important thing is our security. I am ready to believe in the good will of each of our enemies, but - above all - I believe in us, only in us, in our strength. We ask no favors of anyone. We have never asked, nor will we ask others to defend us.
What is important to us is the security of our children in Jerusalem, in the kindergartens of the Galilee, in the schools of the Negev, in Tel Aviv, in Ma'alot, in Kiryat Shmona. With us, security comes first. We will not give up even one millimeter of security. If there is security, there will also be peace for all the inhabitants of this country and its neighbors.
Ladies and gentlemen - in my Knesset speech during which I presented the new Government - I said that, in the last decade of the twentieth century, the atlases and geography books no longer depict the up-to-date world picture: walls of hostility fell; borders were erased; great powers crumbled; ideologies collapsed; states were born and perished, and the gates of aliyah opened. We and our children must see this new world as it is today, probe the dangers, explore the opportunities and do everything so that the State of Israel can become an integral part of this changing world.
I also said in the Knesset that we no longer think in the Biblical terms of "the people shall dwell alone," and it is no longer true that "the whole world is against us." We have to free ourselves of the sense of isolation that has gripped us for almost half a century. We have to join the movement for peace, conciliation and international cooperation which is rapidly spreading today throughout the entire globe. Otherwise, we will be the only ones left behind.
Therefore, it is our intention to take vigorous steps to bring about the end of the Israeli-Arab conflict. We will do this on the basis of the recognition by Arab states and the Palestinians that Israel is a sovereign state and has the right to live in peace and security.
The Government has proposed to the Arab states and the Palestinians to continue the peace talks on the basis of the Madrid format. As a first step toward a permanent solution, we will discuss the implementation of autonomy in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza area. We do not intend to lose valuable time.
We know how to dream, but we are also realists. We know that we may not get everything we want. The Arabs, too, will not get everything they want. However, we will continue to fight for our right to live here in peace and harmony. Neither knives, nor stones, firebombs or land-mines will stop us.
Our next concern, after security, is economics. This week, our minister of finance informed the people of Israel that 1992 and 1993 will be difficult years, after which economic growth will begin. We are not frightened by hard times; we have known them in the past. At the beginning of the 1950s, 650,000 people lived in a small Israel after a terrible war. At that time, 650,000 Jews took in 800,000 immigrants within four years. Today, we are 4,000,000 Jews. Can't we take in 1,000,000 Jews from the former Soviet Union? We will be able to do this if we harness all of our resources for this purpose. (...)
I have told the people of Israel, and I tell you now, that we intend to increase the pace of economic growth, to create jobs for hundreds of thousands of new immigrants and Israelis who will enter the labor force in the coming years. We will do this by adapting the economy to open management, without administrative restrictions and excessive Government interference.
We intend to advance the sale of more Government-owned companies. We also intend to invest in basic vital projects in order to attract entrepreneurs to establish industries. We want to reduce Government intervention in the capital market. We want the new immigrants and our own children to find jobs and their future here in Israel. I said in the Knesset that we do not want our main export to be our children.
We will do whatever possible to guarantee homes for new immigrants and to provide housing solutions for young couples, while giving priority and assistance to newly discharged soldiers. We send these young people to war. We must also look after them when they return home safely. (...)
All the statistics show that the Jewish people is slowly disappearing, that Jewish education is no longer part and parcel of every Jewish home. The link to Israel is weakening. In the Diaspora, the Zionist idea is rapidly losing ground. We are very worried.
We call upon you to do everything possible to strengthen the ties with the State of Israel. We are proud of our relationship in troubled times, in days of war. We are proud of our partnership in fateful days and in dangerous hours. Your readiness to stand by us warms our hearts.
But what will you do if and when there is peace? What will be the link between us when the longed-for day arrives -when there will be no more bloodshed, no tears, no danger? Will you then close yourselves away in your private worlds? Will you then be active only in your own communities? The ties between us must be cemented and must not be based only on the dangers facing Israel. Our shared Jewish destiny is forever.
All my predecessors called upon you to come on aliyah. As prime minister, it is also my duty to call upon you, your families, your communities to come live in Israel. We need every single one of you here with us. Come to us. (...)