Israel President Isaac Ben Zvi, Premier David Ben Gurion and Chief Rabbi Isaac Herzog greeted today, in special Rosh Hashanah messages, the Jews of Israel and of all other countries. Rosh Hashanah starts tomorrow evening.
Declaring that 5717 was “a year of mighty struggle such as has not been our lot since the War of Independence,” President BenZvi expressed the hope that the coming year would witness Israel’s moving “yet a stage further towards our exalted goal–the building of our country and the ingathering of our exiles.” He added the hope that the world would see during 5718 “truth and peace in Israel and all the nations, near and far.”
Discussing Israel’s operation in the Sinai Peninsula, President Ben Zvi said that “the world came to appreciate the justice of our struggle and our ability to defend with all our might Israelis right to existence and to free movement in the waters bordering her coasts. And if, in the end, despite tyrants and despots, this freedom is preserved for us and for the nations of the world, and unhindered contact between us and the Indian Ocean is assured, we too shall have played a worthy and honorable part in these achievements.”
In his New Year’s message greeting the Jews of the world, Premier Ben Gurion prayed that 5718 would be a year of “peace and security, freedom and progress, unity and cooperation” among the nations, a “year of tranquility and constructive development for Israel and spiritual advancement for the whole Jewish people.”
ISRAEL’S ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE YEAR CITED; “NEW CLOUDS” SEEN
Reviewing the passing year 5717, the Premier called it one of the great years in the annals of the state and of the Jewish people’s long history. He cited expansion in every town and village, strengthening of the armed forces and the improved economy with its increased exports as evidence of his estimate of 5717. He insisted, however, that despite these achievements “we are not yet even half-way to our goal and we must not cease our unremitting efforts to make further progress.”
“New clouds have begun to appear across our borders and the enemy has continued to accumulate large quantities of arms, “the Premier warned. Noting that the new year will be the tenth of the state’s existence, he said the nation would have to sum up the achievements of the decade this next year and lay plans for the next ten years. He expressed confidence that Jews throughout the world will help Israel celebrate its first decade of independence and would rally “round Israel as never before.”
In his message. Chief Rabbi Herzog made a powerful plea for unity to weld together the Israeli people in one nation. He called on Israelis to “stretch out a faithful, brotherly hand to the incoming brethren, to give their fullest support to government institutions in absorbing newcomers and to mobilize as one to lend a shoulder in their speedy integration. Sephardic Chief Rabbi Isaac Nissim expressed the hope that the new year would be one of “inspiration, rejuvenation, peace, salvation and redemption.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
