President Reuven Rivlin delivered a speech at the memorial ceremony for the fighters of the Etzel (Irgun Tzvai Leumi) pre-state militia who fell in the battle for the village of Malha. "Every year I come here to pay tribute to the fallen, but the memorials are not the main thing. Memory must live in our hearts and deeds, in our devotion to the state and the people of Israel."
Addressing the students of the Ort Minkoff school, who are responsible for the ceremony, Rivlin said, "You, the younger generation, allow us to combine memory with expectation." He continued, "On this day I want to appeal to you and through your to all the youth: We need you, your dedication, your ideals, your willingness to contribute. Take part! Enlist! Contribute! Influence! Even 17-year-olds can change the world. May the memory of the fallen of the Irgun and the fallen of Israel's [defense] establishment be blessed, and their heritage, an eternal heritage, will be engraved in our hearts forever."