Netanyahu and Peretz in Elkana
Netanyahu and Peretz in Elkanano credit

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Education Minister Rabbi Rafi Peretz arrived on Sunday (Sunday) to visit the elementary school in Elkana in western Samaria Sunday to mark the start of the new year.

Netanyahu and Peretz participated in the opening ceremony this year and met with the excited children, including the incoming first grade class. After the ceremony, the two will be inaugurating a new educational center and a school for special needs children named after the prime minister's late brother, Yoni Netanyahu.

Prime Minister Netanyahu told the students during his speech, "We are building new houses here - this is a new house that is an old house - this is the original old house of the Jewish people and we will build another Elkana. We won't uproot anyone here. There will be no more Gush Katifs, no more displacement, and with the help of G-d we will apply Jewish sovereignty to all [Jewish] communities as part of the Land of Israel and as part of the State of Israel."

"I wish you a lively and successful school year. Learn and read - I want you to read books, lots of books. Happy New Year to you all," Netanyahu added.

Education Minister Peretz said in his address to the students, "I am very excited to start the year with you. As children in the first grade, this is your first year at school, and for me, this is the first year that I open the school year as the Minister of Education for all Israeli children. First, I welcome the understandings reached with the Teachers and Finance Ministry. I thank all the parties who have demonstrated national responsibility and of course thank you to the Prime Minister who delved into the matter so that we could open the year as normal."

"Dear students, summer vacation is over, and I hope that you will return with good energies for doing, learning and meeting with all friends," Peretz added. "This year I declared a year 'mutual responsibility.' As I take on the role, I have set the values ​​as one of the key goals that we will advance in the system over the coming year, and you dear students will always remember to help those in need, those in dire circumstances, to include those who are different, and to bring hearts together.

"And another small but big request: If you are having a birthday party or special class meetings please invite all the children. We all want to feel belonging and the right act is to accommodate everyone and invite all the children of the class," the minister added. "The value of excellence and aspects of learning and investment, but that is what complements and strengthens them. Here in Elkana we see the proof of that."