Ten years ago we still prayed for a miracle to save Gush Katif. The nightmare of this governmental decision and the black uniforms of our soldiers – special uniforms that were made following the special preparations for the expulsion will never leave us- it was only after the expulsion that one of our friends abroad told me that in the back of the uniforms it was written in English for PR. – back then in the nightmare of the expulsion I did not notice the back of their unifroms. Ten years of dispersion and tears and rockets. And immediately following the expulsion our sons back in fighting again and again as rockets and tunnels are aimed against Israel.
Operation after operation in Gaza and then nine years ago the “Second Lebanese War” our sons back in Lebanon fighting to protect Israel and next week we personally in my community will go up to the graves of our loved ones who fell in the brave battle in Bintj Bel where 8 of our sons fell in a heroic battle against the terror trying to save their brothers in arms. Roi Klein, Amichai Merchavia, from Eli, and Ohad Klausner from Bet Horon z”l were among the eight heroes. Each of them with a story of the short but meaningful lives that they lived and that they gave for our Nation. Each of them selfless, brave and a hero, and an integral part of our lives even after they fell, as are all of our loved ones who gave up their lives for our country.
Time after time, operation after operation, war after war combating the endless hatred directed against us, the Jewish people and the State of Israel. No matter what size our country is, no matter what we are willing to sacrifice in order to try and live in peaceful co-existance with the Arabs and indeed with the world the hatred overcomes our efforts and we return to the continuous reality of terror, rockets, fire bombs, rocks, incitement, hatred.
Last summer with the horrific planned abduction and murder of our young boys, Naftali, Gil-Ad and Ayal HY”D, and the enormous love and unity of our Nation that followed this nightmare. The rockets and tunnels and our sons again fighting in order to protect our Nation and Land. Not only fighting and willing to give up their lives in order to save the civilian population, willing to endanger themselves to protect and save their brothers in arms- this an integral part of our legacy and lives.
Last night the IDF on the way to a memorial ceremony in Kiryat Arba, brought the families of the boys, Gil-Ad Saar, Naftali Frankel,, and Ayal Yifrach HY”D to commemorate the year since the tragedy to the place where their bodies were discovered. Arabs attacked them with rocks while singing and whistling and yelling in order to express their celebrating the abductions and murders .
There is no possible way to describe a scene such as this, bereaved families standing over the ground where their beloved sons were dumped after being abducted and murdered and hearing the Arabs around attacking and screaming their joy over the tragic loss of three young innocent Jewish boys.
All of this during the period where we mourn, remembering the destruction of our Holy Temple in Jerusalem, twice, and the dispersion of our Nation from our Land. Never again will we let this happen!
We, the Jewish Nation, must unite in love and dedication and overcome our differences in order to protect our Land and people against this endless immoral hatred and teach our enemies that this is our Land, this is our heritage and we are here to stay forever more.