Greetings on the occasion of Israel’s 60th Anniversary from the President of Israel
Dear Friends.
As we stand poised to celebrate Israel’s 60th Anniversary, we can only but look back on our achievements with a great deal of pride. From its inception, practically rising from the ashes of the unspeakable horrors of the Holocaust, Israelhas had to fight for its survival through seven wars and relentless attacks on its very existence. Yet we persisted in turning the vision of a homeland forthe Jewish people into reality. We have created a model democracy, an independent judiciary system and set ourselves it the forefront of fields such as science and technology, hi-tech, agriculture and medicine, to name but some of the areas in which Israel excels.
But we should not allowourselves to rest on our laurels. We must seek to educate our younger generation for leadershiproles in our three Tomorrows: The Israel Tomorrow, theJewish Tomorrow and the Global Tomorrow. We must bridge the growing social gaps in our country. We must cultivate stronger ties with the JewishDiaspora and engage the young in these communities to connect with Israel. We must initiate breakthrough in spheres such as nano-technology,desalinationto alleviate water shortages, find alternative sources of energy, green the desert and make inroads in ever more sophisticated medical applications.Duringthese years we have made peace with Egyptand Jordan and we hope that the peace negotiations with the Palestinians will bear fruit.
We must be true to the values dictated by our Prophets, a legacy that has united the Jewish people through the ages and that must continue to serve as our beacon for the generations to come.
As Israelcelebrates 60 years of independence I wish the citizens of our country, the Jewish people and our friends throughout the world a peaceful and prosperous anniversary year.
Jerusalem May 2008
Shimon Peres
