Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein on Wednesday evening called for unity among Israelis, in a special message in honor of Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s 67th Independence Day.
"National independence must not be taken for granted by the Jewish people," he said. "We waited 2,000 years to restore our sovereignty and we have to say thank you for it and maintain it every day.”
Edelstein added that Israeli culture is complex and that there are difficult challenges but added, "Unity is not meant to silence any group or population, but rather turning Israel's diversity into a spectacular mosaic. If we succeed in that - everything else will be easy for us.”
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu earlier on Wednesday released a special video greeting in honor of Israel's 67th Independence Day, in which he spoke about Israel as a source of pride and stressed Israel's true dedication to human freedoms.
"We've built a robust and healthy democracy, where freedom is sacrosanct and human rights are enshrined in our laws for all," he noted. "We've built a society in which all Israel's citizens are equal under the law, Arab and Jew alike."
"We've witnessed a real renaissance in our national culture," he concluded. "We take pride in Israel's achievements - and even though there is still much work to be done, on this day we can unite and celebrate in Israel's many successes."