00:16Good evening.
00:29Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
00:31Thank you very much for coming this evening and thank you for overcoming the traffic to arrive here.
00:38I know that you've been traveling endlessly to come here, so thank you for not regretting making it to this
00:45special event.
00:48Dear friends, today we commemorate three years since October 7th, 2023, when the most atrocious terrorist attack against our nation
01:02since the establishment of the State of Israel was launched by Hamas terrorists and their accomplices.
01:09We grieve the loss of 1,200 Israelis, including women, children, and the elderly, who were murdered, raped, mutilated, burned,
01:21alive, suffocated, and tortured.
01:24Many Israelis saw their family members being killed, maimed, or abducted before their own eyes.
01:32The terrorists were ordered by Iyasi Noir, the infamous leader of Hamas, according to the documents we obtained, in his
01:43own handwriting, to film the medieval-style murderous spree and show it in real time.
01:51The intention, as he himself explained, was to increase the shock and carry the message of slaughter to Palestinians and
02:02mobs in the Arab world in order to garner the most sick kind of enthusiasm,
02:08one that would drag them to join the campaign of massacre.
02:16Israel was caught by surprise.
02:19It was one of the greatest intelligence and operational failures in our history.
02:25Sinwar calculated that the abduction of hundreds of Israelis, combined with tactics of hiding behind civilians and placing his military
02:34headquarters under hospitals and other humanitarian installations,
02:39would deter the Israeli defense forces from entering the Gaza Strip and from conducting an effective military operation.
02:49He was literally dead wrong.
02:53Israel fought with resolve and prevailed.
02:57Hamas and the entire Iranian axis are dramatically weaker.
03:03Israel has security buffer zones in Gaza, South Lebanon, and Syria.
03:08The Iranian regime knows now what is the price of calling for annihilation and working diligently to make it happen.
03:18They know how much they are exposed and strained, while our communities in the South, in the North, and all
03:26over Israel are back to normal life.
03:30Israel is thriving.
03:32We bounce back to unprecedented levels.
03:35From 23 to 26, our economy grew 40% despite the war.
03:43The first two quarters of 26 have shown growth of 15 and 7% respectively.
03:48Our citizens fought a seven-front war and came out not only victorious, but more robust and more determined than
03:57ever.
03:57However, the toll was high.
04:03800 additional lives lost, thousands of injured, and many more traumatized.
04:10Notwithstanding the great cost, we have shown to our enemies and to the world what is the true meaning of
04:17resilience and resourcefulness.
04:20Three years is a period of time that also allows for reflection.
04:26Israelis are craving for peace and stability.
04:29Israel wants to heal and to recover.
04:33But we know very well that complacency is not an option.
04:38Only last week, we witnessed a stark reminder that suicidal hatred against our state can come in many ways.
04:47And thanks to a brave Indian pilot, Captain Smith Machart, and brave Israeli passengers, we averted a 9-11-style
04:57mega-terrorist attack against our country.
05:01As we embark on our journey of healing, Israel will continue to cooperate with our allies and friends to achieve
05:08practical political solutions for Gaza and Lebanon.
05:13Countries in the region now understand that only through self-help and cooperation we will be able to defeat the
05:20aggressors and achieve the prosperity and stability we all deserve.
05:28And true peace will come when the fantasy of Israel's eradication is finally renounced.
05:38With less than a month, Israel will undergo elections.
05:43Our democracy remains intact, and I'm sure our next elected government, in whatever composition,
05:51will re-engage in efforts to bring Israelis to the safe shores we yearn to arrive to after this painful
05:58ordeal
05:59and take the necessary measures to make sure a failure of such magnitude as the October 7th attack doesn't repeat
06:09itself.
06:09We know that here in India, the vast majority of people understand exactly how we feel.
06:18That you, here, you know exactly how we feel.
06:21Because India has suffered dearly from decades of terrorist attacks.
06:30Last week, we shared the frustration of seeing again disinformation campaigns and attempts of some West Asian and Western media
06:40outlets
06:40to categorize the Fly Dubai terrorist attack as a so-called altercation.
06:47These are the same outlets which are hasty to blame us for every accusation made by dubious elements until proven
06:55wrong,
06:55and many times even after being proven wrong.
07:00Unfortunately, the attempts to vilify Israel have been successful in many places of the world.
07:05We are outnumbered in many circles by those who are succeeding in reversing reality
07:11and in erasing the undeniable reality of October 7th while ironically turning it into an indictment against Israel.
07:21However, our friends, like you, here in India, know the truth.
07:27And we will continue to work together, hand in hand, Israelis and Indians, to defeat terrorism
07:33while cherishing our heritage, our democratic values, our entrepreneurial spirit
07:39in our quest for stability, prosperity and peace.
07:44Adonai oz laamo yiten, Adonai yibarek et amor bashalom.
07:49May the Lord give strength to his people.
07:52May the Lord bless his people with peace.
07:56Thank you very much.
08:03Thank you very much.
