Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara met with torchbearers on Thursday ahead of Israel's 78th Independence Day.
The meeting, held at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, was also attended by Transportation Minister Miri Regev, who is in charge of the independence ceremonies.
In his speech to the torchbearers, the prime minister spoke about the fateful year the country has had. "This Independence Day is different. It is different because it comes after a year in which we challenged history," Netanyahu began. He explained that while antisemitism remains, what has changed is Israel's deterrence and defense capabilities.
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"The establishment of the state did not stop the attacks on the Jewish people. These attacks continued. What has changed is our ability to repel them," he said. "And if we thought that after the Holocaust this antisemitism would disappear from the world, it is not. It has not disappeared from the world throughout the generations. It is not expected to disappear either."
He emphasized Israel's ability to deal with threats, alongside the continued building of state and social institutions, "What has changed is our ability to repel attacks on us. And it is expressed in the establishment of the state, in the establishment of the Israel Defense Forces, in the establishment of our security forces. And of course we had to not only establish a state, but also establish an economy, and establish universities, establish hospitals, we have established all of that. But we are still being tested."
Netanyahu once again revealed the magnitude of the Iranian threat that was thwarted: "This year we faced a huge test. A little over a year ago it became clear to us that Iran was going to prepare atomic bombs to destroy us. This is not idle talk. If we had not acted in Operation Rising Lion and Operaiton Roaring Lion, they would have had nuclear bombs, and that would have been the beginning of the end of the Jewish people. We had to act."
"We have changed not only the Middle East, we have changed ourselves," the Prime Minister continued. "Because we are doing things that no country has ever dreamed of doing. And perhaps we also thought that in the internal debates among us we would not have the strength to do it, because that is what our enemies thought. They were wrong, and that is the pilots and ground crews and Givati. It is everything else, everything that is in between, this people rose up like a lamb and fought like a lion. And that gives us great hope, because such a thing has never happened on a global level.
Netanyahu concluded his remarks by welcoming the torchbearers, "I want to congratulate you from the bottom of my heart, and also thank you, Miri, for joining this impossible mission year after year."
Regev promised that the 78th torchbearer ceremony would be particularly moving and powerful, "In the 78th torchbearer ceremony of the State of Israel, each one is bringing the strengths of renewal to light. The ceremony will be an emotional ceremony in which both the content and the artistic part. We will display both our strength and our light there. We are bringing the security capabilities of the IDF and the State of Israel in all areas."
According to Regev, "It will be something truly moving and for the glory of this country, because everyone in this country wants to connect with that place that is a source of pride."
Sarah Netanyahu with the torchbearers Photo: Haim Tzach, GPO