? \"Prime Minister Sharon and Education Minister Livnat: I turn to you in the name of all the 14-year-olds in Israel. We want to live. We want to grow up. We don\'t want to be afraid to get on a bus in our own capital city, and we ask that you do everything you can so that we can fulfill these wishes.\"
So, in a breaking voice, said Rivky Kodeir, a student of the Beit Shulamit School in Jerusalem, during a difficult visit by Sharon and Livnat to her school this morning. Shoshi Ben-Yeshai, 16, a student in the school, was murdered on Sunday, together with Meni Regev, 14, when Arabs shot at the public bus in which they were riding in a busy Jerusalem intersection. Ten out of the other more than 40 wounded also study in the school.
\"I live in this country,\" Rivky continued during a public assembly for the visitors, students, and staff, \"and I hear the news, and I\'m aware of our terrible security situation - and suddenly this week it all comes right down to me, to my very home, even to the bus on which I ride home every day. We buried one of my friends this week, and ten others are wounded, and I ask myself, is this government that you head really doing all it can to protect us and ensure that we can return home safely? ... We have a strong army, and advanced weaponry, and much will to win, but in my opinion we only have one problem: the government doesn\'t initiate attacks, and only reacts after they shoot us and kill children and women and men… I think it would be much easier to be the ones to attack, and not the ones to react out of blood and tears. I don\'t know what goes on in the minds of those who make the decisions; I don\'t know how many of the decisions are made in order to protect me and the other children of Israel, and how many are made in order to preserve your national-unity government.\"
Another student, who herself was wounded in the shooting, reminded the Prime Minister that Shoshie worked on his behalf in the previous elections: \"It is hard for me to absorb everything that has happened - my good friend dying, everyone is crying, and all the rest - although we know that G-d is guiding us in everything... I wanted to share some of our thoughts with you. Many of us worked very hard for you to be elected. Shoshie really worked hard for this, she was very active. We wanted you to represent our views, [and not those] that simply did not stand the test of reality…\"
The Prime Minister responded,
\"I can assure you that we are not only \'reacting,\' but are also taking action - constantly. This is a hard and very complex campaign, and we have to find the correct way to deal with it. We do not let up on this matter, and I am sure that we will find the right way... I also want to say that regarding matters of security for Israel and for its citizens, there are no pressures, nor will we accept any pressures. There are no pressures, internally or externally. It could be that there are different ideas about diplomatic solutions, and even pressures to adopt them - but regarding the measures that should be taken for Israel\'s security, there are no pressures whatsoever. I know that it is hard, it is very complex, and it will take much time... I know that there are people who have various slogans, but the problem is much too complex to be solved by mere slogans...
\"We have had many difficult times, even more difficult than these, and we must not let our spirit fall… I was among those who had the privilege of fighting for Jerusalem, and the battle was a painful and difficult one that claimed many lives. When we fought then, we never imagined that 50 years later, we would once again be fighting for Jerusalem - but this is the reality. I am certain we will endure and emerge victorious... We all are, the security forces as well as you, on the front lines... I am confident that we will endure and emerge victorious.\"
So, in a breaking voice, said Rivky Kodeir, a student of the Beit Shulamit School in Jerusalem, during a difficult visit by Sharon and Livnat to her school this morning. Shoshi Ben-Yeshai, 16, a student in the school, was murdered on Sunday, together with Meni Regev, 14, when Arabs shot at the public bus in which they were riding in a busy Jerusalem intersection. Ten out of the other more than 40 wounded also study in the school.
\"I live in this country,\" Rivky continued during a public assembly for the visitors, students, and staff, \"and I hear the news, and I\'m aware of our terrible security situation - and suddenly this week it all comes right down to me, to my very home, even to the bus on which I ride home every day. We buried one of my friends this week, and ten others are wounded, and I ask myself, is this government that you head really doing all it can to protect us and ensure that we can return home safely? ... We have a strong army, and advanced weaponry, and much will to win, but in my opinion we only have one problem: the government doesn\'t initiate attacks, and only reacts after they shoot us and kill children and women and men… I think it would be much easier to be the ones to attack, and not the ones to react out of blood and tears. I don\'t know what goes on in the minds of those who make the decisions; I don\'t know how many of the decisions are made in order to protect me and the other children of Israel, and how many are made in order to preserve your national-unity government.\"
Another student, who herself was wounded in the shooting, reminded the Prime Minister that Shoshie worked on his behalf in the previous elections: \"It is hard for me to absorb everything that has happened - my good friend dying, everyone is crying, and all the rest - although we know that G-d is guiding us in everything... I wanted to share some of our thoughts with you. Many of us worked very hard for you to be elected. Shoshie really worked hard for this, she was very active. We wanted you to represent our views, [and not those] that simply did not stand the test of reality…\"
The Prime Minister responded,
\"I can assure you that we are not only \'reacting,\' but are also taking action - constantly. This is a hard and very complex campaign, and we have to find the correct way to deal with it. We do not let up on this matter, and I am sure that we will find the right way... I also want to say that regarding matters of security for Israel and for its citizens, there are no pressures, nor will we accept any pressures. There are no pressures, internally or externally. It could be that there are different ideas about diplomatic solutions, and even pressures to adopt them - but regarding the measures that should be taken for Israel\'s security, there are no pressures whatsoever. I know that it is hard, it is very complex, and it will take much time... I know that there are people who have various slogans, but the problem is much too complex to be solved by mere slogans...
\"We have had many difficult times, even more difficult than these, and we must not let our spirit fall… I was among those who had the privilege of fighting for Jerusalem, and the battle was a painful and difficult one that claimed many lives. When we fought then, we never imagined that 50 years later, we would once again be fighting for Jerusalem - but this is the reality. I am certain we will endure and emerge victorious... We all are, the security forces as well as you, on the front lines... I am confident that we will endure and emerge victorious.\"