Speech on 60th anniversary of the State of Israel
7 May 2008
Transcript of a speech given by the Prime Minister at a service to mark the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel held at the Finchley Synagogue in London.
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Can I tell you from the bottom of my heart what an honour and what a privilege it is to be here this evening at the celebration of one of the greatest achievements of the 20th Century. The realisation of a dream that was first hoped for and prayed for thousands of years ago, was planned for by generations of visionaries and was built in sacrifice and suffering and struggle, the declaration of 1948 of the State of Israel.
I am especially touched to have been asked to speak here today, to have been able to share with you and join with you in the wonderful music, the prayers, the words and the joyfulness of this occasion and the brilliant oratory of the Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. And to be here as Memorial Day moves to celebration day is a great privilege because my family has a long and sustained interest in Israel and respect for your remarkable achievements, your great sufferings and your strong ideals.
You may ask why it is that a young primary school child, brought up as I was in a mining town in Scotland in the 1950's, came to feel a huge attachment to the trials and the tribulations and the achievements of Israel. And the reason is that my father was brought up and learned Hebrew, supported the attainment of the State of Israel in 1948 and for decades was a member of the Church of Scotland's 'Church and Israel Committee'. And from our home in Scotland, he became a regular visitor to Israel, at least once or twice a year for many decades.
And his interest in Israel meant that much of my early life revolved around the history of this ancient and modern land and its people. And long before we had a television, we watched film slides on old projectors, often breaking down. We listened to talks and lectures. We read books that my father brought home to us. We listened on many occasions to his latest experiences and the people he met, the stories of dedication and courage of the pioneers who built Israel.
And even today I can remember his exact words and sometimes look at a map to test myself on the geography of Israel that he so vividly described to me as I was growing up. So I was brought up, inspired, moved by the courage and resilience of the Jewish people. I heard about Israel's achievements but also its vulnerability. I learnt of the fight for a Jewish homeland, of the Balfour Declaration, of the promises made, some honoured and some broken. And I learned of the ancient dream of the Jewish nation becoming reality in the modern state of Israel. And I was taught too, of the sufferings and the struggles and the Holocaust, that greatest crime that was every committed against humanity.
And I remember today, as we have already, the victims of terrorism and persecution. And most of all as I grew up I was and I remained impressed by the determination of the Jewish people, that discrimination in all its forms must be fought, and by your conviction that we should build in our generation and in our time, communities that do not only prevent hatred and its evil work, but enable individuals from whatever backgrounds or creed to realise their potential to the full.
And it is that conviction and my knowledge that it is the conviction of the people of Israel is why I have been and remain a lifelong friend and supporter of Israel. So I am especially honoured and delighted to join you this evening in this salute to the 60th Anniversary.
The British Jewish Community has such a long and distinguished history in not only building our country but helping create the State and then over the last 60 years in helping to establish Israel, to develop it, to enhance it, to defend it, and to help it ensure peace and security.
Yet there is a sense that 60 years has been fraught with difficulties and challenges. Let me remind you of a British story that the first 500 years of any institution is always the most difficult. I have seen that deep connection between the community here and the State of Israel and I have also had the opportunity several times to visit Israel myself. And I hope to be able to visit Israel this year at the invitation of Prime Minister Olmert.
In 1995 I received an invitation to give the Balfour Lecture in celebration of the British and then the international declaration that was to herald and make possible the State of Israel. Naturally I agreed to do it and I spent some time writing the lecture. It was only at the last minute, literally a day or two before, when I was making arrangements to get to the Hilton Hotel that I discovered it was not the Hilton Hotel in London where I was to speak, but the Hilton Hotel in Tel Aviv. And I am pleased to tell you that I managed to get over there quickly, I was able to give the lecture, it was a great honour but that visit to Israel came as something of a surprise.
What is no longer a surprise to anyone is the remarkable achievements and the developments of such a young country. What was born and was built as the Chief Rabbi has just told us was something more than simply a state. It became and it remains a pluralistic society where politics are hard fought and democracy never abandoned. It is a country that has became even facing difficulty and struggle, a world leader in science and innovation and is developing a thriving global economy.
And it is above all a nation that has been built on the passion for education and the determination to empower its young people to go out and change the world and that is why it is a particular pleasure to see so many members of your wonderful youth movements here this evening and I applaud them for all the work they do for this community and for Israel too.
And all these successes are a tribute to those who founded and led Israel and to its industrious people and it is right to celebrate today. This anniversary gives us the chance not only to look back on what has been accomplished but to set goals for what we want to help Israel achieve in the coming decades.
Since the moments of its birth, Israel has faced immense threats from its neighbours. Its people have borne burdens for peace in every generation. And I say to you today that Britain will continue to be a true and constant friend of Israel in good times and in bad. We will never reduce our efforts to secure for Israel, a future free from terror, a future where alongside a viable Palestinian state, children and the children of all your neighbours can believe in a brighter future.
The political process which began at Annapolis, now presents us with a real opportunity to move forward. Today I want to join with you on behalf of the British Government in a prayer for peace. As the Chief Rabbi has told us, we need a peace as he says in which each makes space for the other. A peace in which the children of Abraham live together as brothers and sisters, part of the same extended family, a peace that heals the wounds of the past for the sake of generations, not yet born, a peace where we turn swords into ploughshares so there is never a need for swords again.
And this will not be easy. It will mean difficult and brave steps but we the Government are ready to support the political roadmap for peace with finance for an economic roadmap that will reduce unemployment, build new industries, guarantee a viable economic future for the Palestinian people.
So let us tonight give thanks for what has been achieved. Let us all stand ready to help Israel find a truly secure place in a peaceful Middle East. Let us celebrate a nation that can triumph over attempts at isolation, threats of war, and threats of terrorism and emerge even stronger, tending its young caring for its sick, cherishing its old. Let us celebrate a country that even people, thousands of miles away in the remotest corners of the world, think of as home. And it is this that gives me faith in the future.
Thank you all for your contribution to life in our country today, the immense contribution that you all make to the strong community spirit and the spirit of service that exists in our country. And let us pray with the words which you end each of your prayers. May he who makes peace in the heavens make peace for Israel and make peace for all of us across the world.
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