'They will internalize that we are here to stay'

Tourism Minister Yariv Levin told Channel 7 in an Independence Day interview, "We must really make an effort to act responsibly to preserve the country and to strengthen the state to maintain its strength and understand that our very existence here is something that will probably never be perceived by some of our neighbors as something that is acceptable and understandable, and therefore we must be vigilant and maintain the power that will enable us to preserve this independence throughout Generations."

Noting Israel's military, economic, scientific, educational and cultural strengths, Levin said, "I think that to a large extent it depends on us. If we stand firm on our rights and say all along that we are here to stay, if we trust our right to live here, our right to our land, and of course if we continue to strengthen the state of Israel in all the aspects we talked about, I think that this will eventually lead to at least some of our neighbors coming to the realization that they have to accept the fact that we are here, and then perhaps there will be a chance to reach some sort of arrangement that will allow us to live together in common with our neighboring countries."