The following is the message from President Yitzhak Navon on the occasion of Israel’s 33rd Independence Day which will be marked May 7.
To Jewish communities everywhere we send from Jerusalem our heartfelt greetings on Israel’s Independence Day. What was not given to our forefathers in 2000 years of exile has been granted to our generation : the ancient dream has been realized; we have achieved independence.
Independence means being able to shape our own destiny; ceasing to be an object manipulated by others. Independence means that we can develop our country and our culture in accordance with our spiritual legacy, our history, our desire to create a society of which we can be proud–a society which will realize the biblical vision that Torah will come forth from Zion.
When Israel achieved its independence in 1948, there were 650,000 Jews in the country. Today there are three-and-a quarter million. In our first year of independence, our exports consisted of citrus fruit, false teeth and heads for primus stoves. Today, we export, among many other items, helicopters, electronic instruments, excellent and diversified agricultural produce.
CITES UNPARALLELED ACHIEVEMENTS
These are unparalleled achievements, but there are still difficult and most significant challenges that we have to meet: settlement of the desert area that represent 60 percent of Israel’s territory; moulding one nation out of immigrants who have come from 102 countries and speak 81 different languages; solving the social problems with which we are now grappling; completing the peace process begun with Egypt and, at the same time, guarding our own security. And the chief task to be carried out by the Jewish people is and remains–aliya!
Till their actual aliya, Jews in their communities should study Hebrew, visit Israel, strengthen Jewish education. All of us must do all in our power to enable the Jews of Soviet Russia and Syria to leave their countries in freedom and, we trust, join us in rebuilding the homeland of our people.
All of us hope with all our hearts that complete redemption will follow upon the beginning of redemption which divine help has given us, and that we will see the scattered Jewish people gathered in their own country, developing their land and culture, creating a model society. Indeed all of us are responsible for each other, as one Jewish people.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
