Distinguished past and present members of the Knesset,
Knesset guests,
Distinguished public, dear citizens,
Knesset members,
Fifty years ago I was elected to the Knesset. I entered this House with trepidation and great expectations. I have loved this House ever since. It is a tremendously animated place; there is never a drop of boredom.
My first speech dwelt on the need to prepare for a "rainy day." Pinchas Rosen, then the Minister of Justice, who spoke after me, was traditionally supposed to compliment me, but apparently it was not easy for him to do. Finally he said that the new Knesset member had a "fine voice." This was the first time in my life that someone had paid me such a far-reaching compliment.
The last elections took place in the wake of hard days in Gaza. This was a great hour for the people of Israel, who demonstrated a great spirit of unity, and the residents of the south, who were a model of resiliency. It showed the IDF's incredible capabilities and that the hearts of the people beat in unison with their soldiers, the families of the south, the wounded in the hospitals and the bereaved parents at home. And the growing hope that Gilad Shalit would soon be reunited with his parents, Noam and Aviva, safe and sound, at home.
Like the rest of the world, we too are enduring an acute economic crisis. Many have lost their jobs. Many find it hard to make ends meet. What is needed is the kind of social solidarity that was the hallmark of the national solidarity demonstrated during Operation Cast Lead. We have to find creative solutions to overcome the crisis. We must swiftly put together scientific and technological initiatives that will create new jobs. We are short of time. The weak, elderly, and young cannot wait. We have to do it right away, despite the critical issues that menace us, like Iran's nuclear program and the threats of terror in the north and the south.
The newly elected Knesset counts twelve parties, but that does not mean that we have to be divided along those lines. The demands of the hour must unite us.
Knesset members,
At least four important challenges face Israel at this hour:
1. To conclude negotiations with the Palestinians during this parliamentary tenure.
2. To place the future of our young generation as the top priority.
3. To advance Israel scientifically on a higher level.
4. To present Israel as an enlightened nation seeking and embodying a just society.
Of the five conflicts we confronted, two were concluded with peace agreements - with Egypt and Jordan - and the other one (with Lebanon) was resolved territorially. And with the most complex of the conflicts, with the Palestinians, negotiations are underway. Distinguished Arab leaders have told me that a peace accord with the Palestinians would be recognized as a regional peace agreement that includes Israel. Peace will create a new economic reality – for us and for our neighbors. It will enable both of us to close social gaps.
We countered fire with fire. Yet the cessation of violence should be concluded through negotiations. Negotiations with the Palestinians need to continue until an accord will be found. It stands against our principles to rule another people and it stands against our experience to be ruled by others.
In the last operation we saw how remarkable our young generation is. We must give all our young people the opportunity to follow suit, starting from thecradle. Infants who are denied the basic nutrients they need to grow will suffer from deficiencies throughout their lives. Youths who will not benefit from higher education will lag behind in the fast-changing world of scientific knowledge.
Israel could be the first nation in the world to divide its budget into two parts. One, the principal one, will be set aside unreservedly for the next generation, from birth to the end of military service. The other part will be for the adults. A state is like a family: the first priority is the children, even at the expense of the parents.
Israel can double its income, despite its meager natural resources, and in spite of its smallness. What Israel lacks in terms of its length and breadth, it can achieve in the heights of science. Even now with the financial crisis, when pockets are empty, brainpower must not similarly recede. Israel must live on its brains as a global high-tech laboratory. It can be a pioneer in a number of revolutionary industries that are emerging now: alternative energy, water technology, stem cell research, interactive educational technology, and homeland security.
Israel's economy has a good reputation. We are blessed with many able people and individuals with dynamic initiative. If we concentrate the investments in one body with decision-making power, it will attract researchers and capital. I recently looked into the possibility of joint initiatives based on governmental capital and private capital, and found that in spite of the crisis, it is possible to mobilize more investments in Israel than elsewhere.
A commitment to scientific endeavors can be Israel's response to the economic crisis and our path to a prosperous future.
If Israel will not be guided by an enlightened human vision and a great moral vision - namely, the vision of our Prophets - it will lose its historical uniqueness. And its sons will be shackled to the Golden Calf, at home and outside of it. Our moral values are etched in the Ten Commandments, and in the commitment that every man is created in the image of the Lord, so no man has the right to feel superior or to humiliate his fellow man.
We have to complete the constitution during this tenure, strengthen the judiciary system and continue to combat corruption in our midst.
Breathing new momentum into our transforming relations with the Jewish Diaspora is a salient item on our agenda.
Our relations with our Arab citizens call for immediate action. We must be ever conscious that Arab citizens are treated as equals to Jewish citizens, for discrimination is contrary to our values. In the Declaration of Independence, we stated that all our citizens would have equal rights and equal obligations. To be equal also entails the equal right to be different.
We can not change the past, but you can shape the future. This is your duty. Zionism has always preferred bold challenges to idleness and inactivity.
Four years is a long time if action is taken, but a short time if spent in endless arguments.
Knesset members,
After consulting with the elected parties, I reached the conclusion that the task of forming a government should be assigned to MK Binyamin Netanyahu. I emphasized the fact that most of parties voiced a clear preference for a broad national unity government. This is also my request. I wish him success.
I wish you all much success, both incumbents and newly-elected Knesset members. Your success will be the success of the people.
We are proud of our democracy. It has demonstrated that it works well in times of peace and in times of war. It has withstood trials and tribulations and has enabled us to arrive at and implement great decisions. As we are true to our nation, we are loyal to our democracy. Israel did not lose battles, nor did it neglect peace. It enabled freedom of expression and greened an arid land.
Israel has distinguished itself in the fields of agriculture and industry. And we are blessed with ways of life that are among the most righteous and meaningful in the world, on the kibbutz, the moshav, the community settlements, and in the development towns.
We are proud of the Israel Defense Forces. It is an exemplary army; an army of the people and an army of defense, which has (despite its great successes) never militarized our country.
Israel has maintained good relations with Europe and cultivated new meaningful ties with India and China. Our relations with Russia have greatly improved.
I wish to say a word about our relations with the U.S.A. They are extremely significant and pertinent. Throughout the state's sixty years, the U.S.A. stood by its side. We never asked American soldiers to defend our lives, and we have gained the solidarity of the American people and the support of its representative institutions. We built an alliance of values, coming from the fountains of the Bible.
When Dr. Issachar Zechariah, Lincoln's personal physician and friend, asked him to help European Jewry establish a state in their historical homeland, Lincoln replied: "My friend, you are the one who puts me back on my feet each time anew. It is time we helped the Jews stand on their feet."
We owe a debt of gratitude to all seven American presidents: from President Truman, who was the first to recognize the Jewish state, to President Bush, who put forth the vision of peace in the form of two states living side-by-side in peace.
The election of President Obama was a magnificent declaration of equal opportunity for every man, regardless of color or birthplace. He was elected by the American people, but chosen by the rest of the world. An ancient vision resonates in his words. "The time has come," he said, "to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation – the promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."
And as regards the future: "We shall restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise healthcare's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age."
When I congratulated President Obama, I told him that I consider his election a milestone in the great human journey to free itself from the bonds of slavery. From all bonds of slavery. From the bondage of a small people to a large people. From the discrimination against the black man by the white man. From oppression of woman by man. It is a journey that started with the Exodus.
The President responded by saying: "Indeed. We must continue to move together, on our road to the Promised Land."
Knesset members,
I thank the members of the outgoing Knesset, headed by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. He stood at the head of the government at a time of tremendous social, security, and economic challenges. He did this with dedication and with constant attention to the greater goals of Israel. Only with historical perspective will we be able to fully appreciate his enormous contributions to the state.
I congratulate the outgoing Knesset, which improved its work and succeeded in passing a vast number of laws, in particular, in social and economic domains.
Special thanks to the Speaker of the Knesset, Dalia Itzik. She improved its image and ensured that the Knesset remained a democratic institution meriting great respect. She won the esteem of all the Knesset members, and instilled a highly-regarded style to the management of the House.
I mourn the passing of Knesset member Rabbi Avraham Ravitz. He was a sensitive and courteous person, gracious and warm, a man of the book and a person who was able to bridge between different opinions, with a personality that was blessed with a wide range of qualities. He radiated warmth and love and he will be sorely missed in this House.
Knesset members,
In your tenure, you will have the option to choose between easy inaction and painful decisions.
Act, don't delay, because if Israel doesn't decide, others will try to make decisions against it.
The public is watching whether the Knesset will:
1. Strengthen the nation and advance peace.
2. Invest in the young generation.
3. Deal urgently and creatively with the present crisis, in particular, with the rising unemployment.
4. Safeguard our Jewish and democratic values.
I carry with warmth my 48 years as member of the Knesset, and shall never forget my initial shock when, in the War of Independence, an important military officer reported that we were left with ammunition sufficient for only five days of battle. Nor will I forget our crestfallen faces when the Glilim Bridge did not function at the crucial moment during the Yom Kippur war and all seemed lost. I carry with me the bitter taste of disappointments stemming from our failed efforts to make peace, or balance the economy.
I visited the homes of bereaved families who behaved heroically when their sons fell. I thought that the tears of our people through the ages would not suffice to blunt the grief.
And I felt uplifted at the sight of the waves of immigration, from Yemen, Romania, North Africa and the former Soviet Union.
I was relieved when the wars came to an end and we had the upper hand. I watched with enthusiasm when the National Water Carrier sent water from the north to the south. I felt relieved when the nuclear plant started to function and when Israeli-produced planes took off. I read magnificent books and heard inspiring poems. I was happy in the aftermath of brilliant victories to see that the peace processes continued. I saw farmers, teachers, artists, doctors and workers with no end to their dedication. It will be hard to find enough room to lay laurel wreaths in tribute to the multitude of Israelis whose commitment and sacrifices have turned Israel into what it is.
How can one not be elated at the sight of such a country? How can we not love it more and more? She deserves every effort. Every bold action. Every sacrifice. Every hope. When a mistake was made, still she prospered. And when she thrived, she did not rest on her laurels.
I am opening this session as a deeply moved man of faith.