Mayor of Efrat Oded Revivi is no stranger to strong criticism, though usually it comes from his fellow residents of Efrat.
As Revivi works to enter the national political arena, he faced a new challenge on Saturday night — speaking at the Rabin memorial rally to a crowd that does not have a particularly favorable attitude towards Israeli settlers. In fact, one Jewish settler who was invited to speak, Esther Brot of Ofra, cancelled her speech due to the intense leftwing incitement against her (she still showed up to the rally).
Revivi’s speech was met with loud boos from the front rows, and polite applause from further back in the crowd.
In a very poetic speech, he called for internal peace first, which he said doesn’t mean unity of thought, but rather the ability to listen and talk to one another, and recognize we’re all brothers.
Videos and translated transcript of the speech below.
Translation of Revivi’s speech:
Good evening,
I came here tonight as a partner, as a native of this land, as a resident of Gush Etzion, as a Mayor, as a lieutenant colonel in the Israel Defense Forces, as a lover of his nation and his land.
I stand before you like the representative of the those praying on the High Holy Days, trembling and scared.
Trembling, because, in this place, stood the Prime Minister of Israel, minutes before he was murdered by a wicked person, at the time that he wanted to fulfill the prayer “He who makes peace in his heights will make peace upon us and all his people Israel.”
Trembling, because one cannot ignore he tens of thousands who came here.
It is not a common sight to see so many citizens leaving their living room to express their opinion on a city street.
I am impressed by the banners “Yes to peace and no to violence”
And I want to tell you, I came today from Efrat, the capital of Gush Etzion, from the heartland of the mountains of Judea.
And there too, as here, men, women and children pray at least three times a day for peace and against violence.
And I’m also apprehensive, because on my way here I heard the voices calling for factions and boycotts.
Voices, that in order to sharpen messages bring about division.
Voices coming from a belief in the justice of a certain way.
Their way.
Tonight we are trying to preserve the legacy of Yitzhak Rabin z “l
Now it turns out that one man left a legacy which can be interpreted in different ways.
It must be said clearly, the murder of the prime minister is a terrible crime that we condemn and denounce and the memory of the act is an eternal disgrace.
Yet, at the same time we must ask, How can we maintain unity and prevent divisiveness in a society where people hold different opinions?
In Judea and Samaria lives today half a million Israeli citizens.
Half a million citizens that produce a lot of energy.
A wind turbine that is connected to the history of the Jewish people with deep roots in our soil.
Yes, people who believe in the integrity of the people and the land.
When I see the energies in this square tonight, I understand that before us is a choice that needs to be made.
Should we unite the energies or, heaven forbid, create a dangerous storm.
Only if we know how to combine forces will we bring peace to our country.
Despite the protesting voices in Tel Aviv, and I know there are some, the organizers of the rally extended their hand and invited me to speak on this platform, and despite the protesting voices on the mountain, and you know there are also those, I came down to the city square.
Some people think that unity is the opposite of polarization.
But I disagree, unity does not mean ideological agreement, but rather the ability also in the heat of the debate to continue to meet, listen and talk, convince and be convinced, to be united around the understanding and recognition that we are brothers and we are one.
This is the place in the heart that that we can find room for those with whom we disagree, the place that brings peace and unity.
Rabin tried to offer far-reaching concessions in exchange for peace.
Peace has not yet come.
The task lies on our shoulders now.
If we want to bring peace, let’s start by reaching out one to the other.
We are living amongst our own people.
The evening we need to send out the message to stop searching for that which divides and separates us and start looking for common and unifying factors, and believe me, the eyes find what the heart seeks.
I believe in an Israel of peace, of respectful discourse, and not of deaf discourse.
I believe in a responsible ideology.
I believe that one should not say maybe sometime in the distant future peace will come but just like the song that Yitzhak Rabin sang, we have to bring that day, and start tonight.
If we succeed in doing so, peace will come.
If we make peace within ourselves, even those who do not want our best interests will understand that we are one people.
“He who makes peace in his heights will make peace upon us and all his people Israel, and say, Amen.