Speech to United Nations After Gaza Disengagement
(September 15, 2005)
My friends and colleagues, heads and
representatives of the UN member states,
I arrived here from Jerusalem,
the capital of the Jewish people for over 3,000 years,
and the undivided and eternal capital of the State of Israel.
At the outset, I would like to express the profound
feelings of empathy of the people of Israel for the
American nation, and our sincere condolences to the
families who lost their loved ones. I wish to encourage
my friend, President
George Bush, and the American people, in their determined
efforts to assist the victims of the hurricane and rebuild
the ruins after the destruction. The State of Israel,
which the United States stood beside at times of trial, is ready to extend any
assistance at its disposal in this immense humanitarian
mission.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I stand before you at the gate of nations as a Jew
and as a citizen of the democratic, free and sovereign
State of Israel, a proud representative of an ancient
people, whose numbers are few, but whose contribution
to civilization and to the values of ethics, justice
and faith, surrounds the world and encompasses history.
The Jewish people have a long memory, the memory which
united the exiles of Israel for thousands of years:
a memory which has its origin in G-d’s commandment to our forefather Abraham:
“Go forth!” and continued with the receiving
of the Torah at the foot of Mount Sinai and the wanderings of the
children of Israel in the desert, led by Moses on their journey to the promised land, the land of Israel.
I was born in the Land of Israel, the son of pioneers
– people who tilled the land and sought no fights
– who did not come to Israel to dispossess its
residents. If the circumstances had not demanded it,
I would not have become a soldier, but rather a farmer
and agriculturist. My first love was, and remains, manual
labor; sowing and harvesting, the pastures, the flock
and the cattle.
I, as someone whose path of life led him to be a fighter
and commander in all Israel’s wars, reaches out
today to our Palestinian neighbors in a call for reconciliation and compromise
to end the bloody conflict, and embark on the path which
leads to peace and understanding between our peoples. I view this as
my calling and my primary mission for the coming years.
The land of Israel is precious to me, precious to us,
the Jewish people, more than anything. Relinquishing
any part of our forefathers’ legacy is heartbreaking,
as difficult as the parting of the Red Sea. Every inch
of land, every hill and valley, every stream and rock,
is saturated with Jewish history, replete with memories.
The continuity of Jewish presence in the Land of Israel
never ceased. Even those of us who were exiled from
our land, against their will, to the ends of the earth
– their souls, for all generations, remained connected
to their homeland, by thousands of hidden threads of
yearning and love, expressed three times a day in prayer
and songs of longing.
The Land of Israel is the open Bible, the written testimony,
the identity and right of the Jewish people. Under its
skies, the prophets of Israel expressed their claims
for social justice, and their eternal vision for alliances
between peoples, in a world which would know no more
war. Its cities, villages, vistas, ridges, deserts and
plains preserve as loyal witnesses its ancient Hebrew
names. Page after page, our unique land is unfurled,
and at its heart is united Jerusalem, the city of the Temple upon Mount
Moriah, the axis of the life of the Jewish people
throughout all generations, and the seat of its yearnings
and prayers for 3,000 years. The city to which we pledged
an eternal vow of faithfulness, which forever beats
in every Jewish heart: “If I forget thee, O Jerusalem,
may my right hand forget its cunning!”
I say these things to you because they are the essence
of my Jewish consciousness, and of my belief in the
eternal and unimpeachable right of the people of Israel
to the Land of Israel. However, I say this here also
to emphasize the immensity of the pain I feel deep in
my heart at the recognition that we have to make concessions
for the sake of peace between us and our Palestinian
neighbors.
The right of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel
does not mean disregarding the rights of others in the
land. The Palestinians will always be our neighbors.
We respect them, and have no aspirations to rule over
them. They are also entitled to freedom and to a national,
sovereign existence in a state of their own.
This week, the last Israeli soldier left the Gaza
Strip, and military law there was ended. The State
of Israel proved that it is ready to make painful concessions
in order to resolve the conflict with the Palestinians.
The decision to disengage was very difficult for me,
and involves a heavy personal price. However, it is
the absolute recognition that it is the right path for
the future of Israel that guided me. Israeli society
is undergoing a difficult crisis as a result of the Disengagement,
and now needs to heal the rifts.
Now it is the Palestinians’ turn to prove their
desire for peace. The end of Israeli control over and
responsibility for the Gaza Strip allows the Palestinians,
if they so wish, to develop their economy and build
a peace-seeking society, which is developed, free, law-abiding,
transparent, and which adheres to democratic principles.
The most important test the Palestinian leadership will
face is in fulfilling their commitment to put an end
to terror and its infrastructures, eliminate the anarchic
regime of armed gangs, and cease the incitement and
indoctrination of hatred towards Israel and the Jews.
Until they do so – Israel will know how to defend
itself from the horrors of terrorism. This is why we
built the Security
Fence, and we will continue to build it until it
is completed, as would any other country defending its
citizens. The Security Fence prevents terrorists and
murderers from arriving in city centers on a daily basis
and targeting citizens on their way to work, children
on their way to school and families sitting together
in restaurants. This Fence is vitally indispensable.
This Fence saves lives!
The successful implementation of the Disengagement
Plan opens up a window of opportunity for advancing
towards peace, in accordance with the sequence of the Roadmap. The
State of Israel is committed to the Roadmap and to the
implementation of the Sharm
El-Sheikh understandings. And I hope that it will
be possible, through them, to renew the political process.
I am among those who believe that it is possible to
reach a fair compromise and coexistence in good neighborly
relations between Jews and Arabs. However, I must emphasize
one fact: there will be no compromise on the right of
the State of Israel to exist as a Jewish state, with
defensible borders, in full security and without threats
and terror.
I call on the Palestinian leadership to show determination
and leadership, and to eliminate terror, violence and
the culture of hatred from our relations. I am certain
that it is in our power to present our peoples with
a new and promising horizon, a horizon of hope.
Distinguished representatives,
As I mentioned, the Jewish people have a long memory.
We remember events which took place thousands of years
ago, and certainly remember events which took place
in this hall during the last 60 years. The Jewish people
remember the dramatic vote in the UN Assembly on November
29, 1947, when representatives of the nations recognized
our right to national revival in our historic homeland.
However, we also remember dozens of harsh and unjust
decisions made by United Nations over the years. And
we know that, even today, there are those who sit here
as representatives of a country whose leadership calls
to wipe Israel off the face of the earth, and no one
speaks out.
The attempts of that country to arm itself with nuclear
weapons must disturb the sleep of anyone who desires
peace and stability in the Middle East and the entire
world. The combination of murky fundamentalism and support
of terrorist organizations creates a serious threat
that every member nation in the UN must stand against.
I hope that the comprehensive reforms which the United
Nations is undergoing in its 60th anniversary year will
include a fundamental change and improvement in the
approach of the United Nations, its organizations and
institutions, towards the State of Israel.
My fellow colleagues and representatives,
Peace is a supreme value in the Jewish legacy, and
is the desired goal of our policy. After the long journey
of wanderings and the hardships of the Jewish people;
after the Holocaust which obliterated one third of our people; after the
long and arduous struggle for revival; after more than
57 consecutive years of war and terror which did not
stop the development of the State of Israel; after all
this – our heart’s desire was and remains
to achieve peace with our neighbors. Our desire for
peace is strong enough to ensure that we will achieve
it, only if our neighbors are genuine partners in this
longed-for goal. If we succeed in working together,
we can transform our plot of land, which is dear to
both peoples, from a land of contention to a land of
peace – for our children and grandchildren.
In a few days time on the Hebrew calendar, the New
Year will begin, the 5,766th year since the Creation.
According to Jewish belief, the fates of people and
nations are determined at the New Year by the Creator
– to be spared or to be doomed. May the Holy One,
blessed be He, determine that this year, our fate and
the fate of our neighbors is peace, mutual respect and
good neighborly relations.
From this distinguished podium, on behalf of the people
of Israel, I wish all the people of the world a happy
New Year.
Shana Tova!
Sources:
Prime Minister's Office |