Toespraak door Ehud Olmert

De burgermeester van Jeruzalem tijdens het ICAJ Loofhuttenfeest 2001

Jeruzalem - 4 oktober 2001

Thank you very much. Good evening to you all. Thank you very much, Michael [Utterback]. Chairman Malcolm Hedding, dear friends, dear sisters and brothers, ladies and gentlemen.

I must tell you something. It's been a very, very difficult day with lots of very painful news I'm sure you have heard of. A terrible attack in Afula, a terrorist attack with three Israelis killed in the bus station and fourteen others wounded, some of whom severely.

The downing of the plane, which departed from Tel Aviv, over the Black Sea with 66 Israelis being drowned in the water - by probably a mistaken Ukrainian missile - is another blow, terrible blow, to every one of us.

This has followed last night's attack on Route number 9 in the north part of Jerusalem. Thank God, the baby was not hurt, but the parents were severely wounded and they are in hospital now.

And then through this afternoon, through all this difficulty and pain, I knew that the time will come [when] I will have one, most important, moment of joy when I am going to meet with you.

I don't understand why is it that this is the first time that you keep the whole entire room dark. I want to see you. I want to see all of you. Please put the lights up. There are such wonderful people sitting here. And I want to see them. And I want to hear them. Wave! You look wonderful.

First of all I want to thank you on behalf of the people of Jerusalem for this most moving and gracious gesture when you put today 1500 flowers next to Sbarro [pizza] in the center of Jerusalem in memory of the victims of the brutal attack at that place two months ago. It was so moving, and believe me everyone in the city knows about it and thanks you for doing this small, but very significant gesture, for the people of Jerusalem. Thank you so much for this very important gesture. And again, thank you for coming to Jerusalem for this difficult time.

Let's not fool ourselves. There were lots of guests that were supposed to come over this last year who cancelled out. And they cancelled out because they don't have the kind of dedication and love that you possess for the city of Jerusalem. And maybe they need more encouragement and greater faith in order to understand that nothing, nothing in the world, can stand between you and Jerusalem... between the true lovers of the city of Jerusalem and the city.

I know I've seen today, when I was sitting today, and watching you marching, parading in the streets of Jerusalem, I watched the group from Indonesia. Where are you guys from Indonesia? And I saw so many from different countries - from the Philippines, from Brazil, from Denmark, from Australia, from New Zealand, from Holland, from Germany, from the United States of America, from Canada, from Great Britain.

And I was so proud of you. And I felt that there was something, which is stronger and more powerful than anything that words can express that go[es] between us and you. And this is [the] great love that you have for the destination of the city of Jerusalem. There is something that goes back thousands of years that binds you deeply from your heart to the inspiration that comes forth from the city of Jerusalem and covers the world over.

And when I think of you, I know that we have, thank God, true partners and true allies. And that no matter how difficult it may be, that with friends like you - with the love, the devotion, the care and sympathies that you project - nothing can break the spirit of the people of Israel when we have you with us.

I watched last night on the news the talk the prime minister [Ariel Sharon] had with you. And I know that he sounded somewhat bitter; and I think I owe you an explanation why is it so, though I'm sure many of you understand easily. Now, more and more people across the world, more and more nations across the world, understand the need to fight the terrorists. More and more people understand how important it is to fight the forces of evil. Now, more and more people have to understand what we have been through for so many years fighting these forces of evil in Jerusalem, on the Temple Mount, in the Old City, in various parts of Israel, the Holy Land which are so familiar with, which you so love, which is the [object] of these brutal forces for such a long time.

And what we are going to say, which is what the Prime Minister of Israel wanted to say last night. There can be no distinction between one type of terror and another type of terror. There can be only one war against terror, and this is the war that we have. And this is the war that all of us are part of, and there can be no distinction between those who are fighting the terror...

What the Prime Minster basically wanted to tell you yesterday is that our nation sympathizes 100% with the United States of America in its war against terror. Our heart is entirely with America. In this country, there never was one demonstration against the United States of America. Never! In this country, the flag of the United States of America was never burned by anyone. Never!

And we now appeal to the United States at this time, and we say to America: "When you fight terror, don't forget us. We are part of this war. We have been part of this war. And don't make that mistake by switching rules between those who are collaborating with terrorists and those who are worthy of being partners in fighting these collaborators and these terrorists. [This is a] war that we should have together and united in order to win."

I want to thank you for giving us this strength and a sense of partnership and cooperation which is so important. I want to promise you that we are going to carry on, that nothing, nothing, in the world will break our spirit. That our love for God in unlimited. That our loyalty to God's will to keep this city united is unlimited. And that our willingness to cooperate with you in the battle to protect the unity of the city of Jerusalem will continue forever.

And we want you here. We love you here. We need you here. And when you come here, you come home, because this is the home for all those who love this great city, this united city, the united capital of the State of Israel and the Jewish people. Thank you. Thank you and come again.

Transcript verzorgd door ICAJ nieuws service