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28 April 2009

The 4th and 5th of IYAR

FIRST GRIEVING

Addressing a memorial ceremony at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem, Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg, father of slain Mumbai Shlucha Rivka Holtzberg, spoke of "a pain and longing that does not heal" but also of his pride for the Holtzberg couple.

The Official State of Israel ceremony to Remember those who have fallen in defense of the Jewish State was held Monday night at the Kotel in Yerushalayim.

THEN CELEBRATING

Ancient People Celebrate 
Modern Independence

In his Independence Day statement to Jews around the world, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said, 

“Each year that we mark the rebirth of the Jewish state after long centuries of exile is a great cause for celebration. After centuries of powerlessness, the Jewish people returned to the stage of history and to their rightful place among the nations.

“The past 61 years show just what a free and independent Jewish nation can achieve. With scarce resources, we brought a barren land back to life and absorbed millions of immigrants….

All this has been achieved even though Israel has lived under constant threat for 61 years. Unfortunately, Israel remains under threat…. It is vital that we continue to strengthen the bonds between Israel and the Diaspora. These bonds are a source of mutual strength and a powerful reminder of the unique role that Israel plays in the world and in the history of our people.


And in another country: 

Freedom Of Speech Summit:

I wish I had come to a place they call they call The Sunshine State with better news, but it would be very unwise to deny that the situation indeed is very gloomy, and it might take a while for you to understand the situation that we are in now. Maybe you as Americans still think that Europe is a place with a great culture and a profound way of looking at things. Maybe you see immigration as something that is inherently good for our country as it contributed so much for the United States, and I understand that. But Ladies and Gentleman the Europe as you know it from visiting Europe or from stories from your parents or friends or whoever, is on the verge of collapsing.

We are now witnessing profound changes that will forever alter Europe's destiny and might send the Continent in what Ronald Reagan once called:
"A thousand years of darkness".

[....]

The third President and his spiritual father of this great Nation, once said and I quote: "The price of Freedom is eternal vigilance" as so often Thomas Jefferson was right.

Our freedom must be safeguarded, and it is, we, ourselves, as we are sitting here, that must do so, that must act. A period of inattention of dropping our guard, for even a short while, might cost us our freedom, just like that. It has happened before in history, please let us not allow it to happen again. Everything we stand for has to be defended, everything we are, everything we have, with all our might, our identity, our culture, our democracy, our freedom and our civilization is at stake.

We owe it, Ladies and Gentlemen, to our children. So Ladies and Gentlemen, I leave you with the expression of our determination.
We will never give up, we will never give in, we will never never, ever, surrender.

Now, listen to Lt. Colonel Allen West


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