"The trees are so heavy, the fruit bends the branches; this is the hour when children fall asleep. The lamb will return to its mother's embrace, lie down in the pen and fall asleep, and the sheep will kiss him, and she will call him by name."

An entire country and a whole nation are now in a time of mourning and lamentation, pain and weeping. A time when two tender lambs – golden infants – finally return, in their mother's embrace, to us, to their home. And all of us, an entire nation with a broken heart, accompany them to their eternal rest.

Master of the universe, this is not how we prayed they would return to us. This is not the moment we waited for, nor the ending we hoped for. In our mind's eye, we saw them returning, their golden heads shining, with that lively, mischievous look gleaming in their small eyes. And mother Shiri, in her breathtaking courage, still sheltering them under her wings, protecting them from all harm; exactly as she did when facing Satan, whom they encountered at such a tender age.

The image of Shiri, carrying her two golden children with eyes torn open from terror, forging a path for them between rifle butts and human monsters – will remain seared in us forever. This image contains within it simultaneously the purest light, the most noble and pure love; and, incomprehensibly, the most horrifying, distilled evil. This image is a single moment in time that encapsulates the entire story of the October 7 disaster – Simchat Torah. The essence of goodness against the lust for murder. And how great is our heartbreak.

The lullaby we carry in our hearts today is an eternal lullaby. As sweet, beloved Kfir and Ariel are brought to an Israeli grave, to eternal rest, together with their remarkable mother Shiri.

If there is still mercy in the world, may the beautiful faces of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir become a heart-piercing cry, echoing in all corners of the earth. A weeping that travels from one end of the world to the other, awakening the hearts of people whose senses have dulled, whose sense of justice has been distorted, whose hearts have been sealed. Look, world – today we are burying the sweetest and purest of your children. Open your heart, world, join the great cry that an entire broken nation is shouting today.

Beloved Shiri, Kfir, and Ariel. Know that from the day you were torn from us, we did not cease for even a moment to pray and hope, to wait, to cry, to yearn for you to return to us alive. That together with brave, heroic father Yarden, who recently returned to us from the valley of the shadow of death, all of you would return to your warm and beautiful home. And now, there are no words with the power to heal the heart. And we refuse to be consoled.

Beloved Yarden, and all the Bibas, Silverman, and Siton families – we all cry with you, embrace you, are broken with you. As president of the State of Israel, in the name of the State of Israel, I ask your forgiveness. Forgiveness that we did not fulfill our duty. Forgiveness that we did not protect your loved ones on that cursed day. Forgiveness that we did not save them, that we did not bring them home safely.

In this moment of heartbreak, I wish to quote the words of Ohad Ben Ami, who returned to us from the horror of captivity and told me this: "The moment we knew they were fighting for us and wanted us to return, it gave us all the strength and reinforced us... There were six of us in six square meters. We were together, secular and religious, soldiers and civilians. We lived in conditions that were not conditions, 30 meters underground, and we were together. This is what we are built on."

Words about unity don't always manage to enter our hearts. But to hear Ohad, who returned from an inconceivable hell, speak about our unity as a life-saving force – this is no longer a slogan, it is a commandment with sacred and binding validity for all of us. The living, beating, magnificent heart of our nation, which was revealed to us this year in all its glory, contains many voices; and now all of us, all parts of this nation, must look directly at the image of Shiri, Kfir, and Ariel, and swear to hold on tightly, together.

Thus – together – as a whole nation with a broken heart, we will accompany Kfir, Ariel, and Shiri to eternal rest today, and may we tear open the gates of heaven in prayer: that their beloved, pure, and innocent souls be bound in the bond of life forever; and that we merit the swift return of all the hostages, to the very last one.

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A hundred have passed since life came to a standstill, the skies darkened, and we, all of us, were exposed to the boiling and shocking lava of terror and profound hatred that was poured upon us. 

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A hundred days of the most justifiable war, which is a test for us as a nation. A test of courage, heroism, determination, righteousness, strength, mutual responsibility, unity, and the commitment we have as a society to our core values and principles that define us as a country.

In these difficult times, we cannot help but think of the sacrifice made by our sons and daughters, in uniform and in plain clothes. Their sacrifice, their courage, their love of life, and their commitment to the ideals we hold so dear attest to the strengths that we harbor within us. 

We must not, not even for a single moment, forget the captives. It is hard to imagine a harder and more treacherous journey than that forced upon the families whose loved ones' fate lies in the hands of Hamas' murderers. We all pray based on the words of the prophet: "Let the daughters and sons return to their borders."

We will further mourn for the radiance of youth, the beauty of heroism, the sanctity of will, and the self-sacrifice that perished in this war. We will weep over the lives of too many - too many – taken by brutal hands - victims of monstrous and boundless antisemitic violence. And yet we remember that even in the darkest hours we witnessed uplifting actions, heroism, resilience, and compassion that have made us who we are as a people: the Israeli spirit that refuses to break, that knows no bounds.

Indeed, we made a serious and painful mistake by being ill-prepared. But our enemy made an even greater miscalculation: An enemy whose "great heroes" murdered, massacred, raped and slaughtered infants, elderly, girls, and boys, burned houses with residents still inside, and committed the worst of crimes against humanity; an enemy that brought devastation and disaster upon its cities and people; an enemy that proudly displayed Hitler's "Mein Kampf" in its rooms, and whose summer camps include murderous brainwashing and blind hatred; an enemy that thought it knew us and despised the heroism of our sons and daughters until it saw with its own eyes how "a people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion."

We saw the incredible strength of our people emerge into the open. We saw the "TikTok generation" step up to the plate, whose heroism will be forever written in the chronicles of Israel's history. I met with men and women who went to battle and the commanders leading the troops with the determination of steel, striving for contact, vowing "never again!". 

We have all seen how the evacuated communities and families act with such tremendous grace, the bravery of our wounded in the hospitals, the burning faith and pride of grieving families, the volunteering spirit and mutual responsibility shown by Israeli society - Jews and Arabs alike, the determination of our allies who stand by our side – led by the US – the world Jewry who has stood with us as one, even at their own risk. No one can defeat a people whose sons and daughters are such; no one can defeat our unity and togetherness.

Even though war broke out at one of the most polarized periods in our history, and while the enemy hoped that the terror attack would deepen rifts and weaken Israeli unity, we chose life, we chose to have mutual solidarity. We chose to unite immediately and fight together, shoulder to shoulder, for the present and future of our common home.

Unfortunately, it's hard not to see that there are those who have chosen to revert to the hate speech that once prevailed here until October 6. Returning to that mindset is a direct threat to our security and our lives. 

You can always criticize, and sometimes argue – it's part of our collective DNA, but it's time to conduct discussions and debates responsibly, and maintain our unity, remembering we are one people and one country. We must not let Hamas win the battle against Israeli cohesion. This applies to all of us, and certainly to elected officials and leaders. Leadership during war means responsibility for having Israelis stand together as one social fabric; this is the foundation on which victory stands.

When our brothers and sisters risk their lives on the front line, we must rise above campaigns, petty politics, and the divisive and toxic discourse, both in discussing the events before the war and in what may unfold on the day after. We must listen to the cry of our children demanding: Instead of blessing us to return home safely, let us return home to safety to a nation with domestic peace.

Despite the challenges ahead, I do not doubt that we will emerge from the shadows of battle stronger and more determined than ever. 

Together, as one nation, we will overcome the darkness, we will rise from the ashes, we will build, plant and sow, we will put up new mezuzot, we will turn every hell into heaven as we have always done, and we will create a future of hope and prosperity for our people, our state and the entire region – one that is worthy of the sacrifice of the fallen, boosts the morale of the wounded and reflects our commitment to establishing a beacon of hope for ourselves and all of humanity. Our enemy got it wrong; the spirit of the people of Israel has always won. It will win again this time.

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In his testimony before the Agranat Commission that investigated the Yom Kippur War, Col. Gabi Amir described the fateful and difficult hours of the fighting in the Sinai Peninsula as follows: The units "reported on the radios that the enemy was advancing and starting to attack us… I saw that at a distance of three to four kilometers from me, tanks and APCs were advancing, stopping, and shooting – and between them a huge amount of infantry. All of that was marching toward us, forward. It was a scene none of us had ever witnessed before. We got permission to withdraw. We received permission, but we did not retreat."

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Even 50 years after the Yom Kippur War, the reason why the war ended as it did is clear to everyone. It was the bravery and resourcefulness of the commanders and fighters in the field that stood against the force of the surprise and the failure of warning and deterrence that resulted in an existential threat to Israel; their dedication, courage, initiative, devotion, and self-sacrifice; a sense shared by all of the responsibility for the nation and homeland.

It is thanks to them that the war in which Israel started out at a disadvantage ended with an impressive victory.

I was of bar mitzvah age when the war broke out. And since then, every year on the Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror, growing up in Tel Aviv's Tzahala neighborhood, the names of the 11 heroes from the area who fell in the war echo in my ears: neighbors and friends, the siblings of my best friends, my brother's best friends. The war left its mark on an entire generation that suffered a fatal blow and experienced a great fracture. I do not know if the wounds sustained 50 years ago will ever heal.

The war taught us two major lessons that remain relevant even after half a century.

The first one was best described by my father, the late sixth President Chaim Herzog, in his book "War of Atonement: The Inside Story of the Yom Kippur War."

In it, he wrote that following Israel's incredible victory in the 1967 Six-Day War, there was an atmosphere of euphoria in society, overlooking of the IDF's shortcomings during the conflict, including those pertaining to intelligence regarding the Arabs' intentions, which turned out to be false.

The Yom Kippur War further reinforced the lesson that Israel needs to be prepared for any and all scenarios and work to produce quality, integrated, and diverse intelligence while operating with humility and constant self-examination.

We learned not to ignore the signs of approaching war and bask in the euphoria of the achievements of the past, however great they may be. The world must know that Israel can protect itself by itself – in any way, at any time, and in any place.

And there is a second, equally important, lesson: not to ignore the signs of peace. In hindsight, it became clear that then-President of Egypt Anwar Sadat conveyed clear messages in the year leading up to the Yom Kippur War regarding his desire for a peace treaty. Unfortunately, just as the signs of war were ignored 50 years ago, so was the hand outstretched in peace.

And the peace that seemed impossible just a few years prior became a reality, largely thanks to Israel's victory in the war.

The Yom Kippur War changed the face of the nation and shook it diplomatically, politically, mentally, and socially. Some argue that that was the point when solidarity within Israeli society eroded, and we all see the deepening of the divide even today.

The events of the last few months have further deepened the divisions in Israeli society, making unity the most challenging and important battle that awaits us, perhaps since the dramatic days of the Yom Kippur War. The effort to bring together the nation, to connect, to mediate our differences, and to build bridges was and still is my life's mission, as well as that of all of Israel.

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Fifty years after the Yom Kippur War, we all remember with admiration our brave brothers, who paid the heaviest price of all, and their loved ones who live in the shadow of loss and those who were wounded in the war, in body and soul.

On this day, we all bow our heads before the magnitude of their sacrifice and wish to be worthy of it as a country, as a society, and as citizens.

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If I had to choose one subject for all Israeli schools to focus on this academic year, it would – without a doubt – be the acceptance of others out of an aspiration for unity.

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It seems that nothing is more vital at this time than highlighting what unites us as a nation and removing that which separates us. I believe that this lesson, which is so relevant for all of Israeli society and not just the education system, is the one that can bring about an important change at this most critical time.

So how does one teach to strive for unity at a time when polarization and division endanger Israeli society? The ability to have an open dialogue in the education system – from kindergartens to high schools – plays a central role.

Educational institutions must be a place of safety, inclusion, and understanding for every student – a home that both allows them to express themselves most authentically and directly and accepts them without criticism and judgment.

Only such a complete and true sense of equality increases social cohesion, a sense of belonging and responsibility for one another. I am confident that our excellent education system has the necessary tools to succeed in this task.

The start of a new academic year is an important opportunity to be proud of the achievements of the Israeli education system. As president, I often visit Israeli schools and always walk away with a deep sense of appreciation for all the employees, who do holy work with dedication and a sense of mission to impact hundreds of students and shape our future.

When I see their desire to reach every student and promote excellence and how patient they are with the students who are struggling, I am filled with appreciation and admiration.

I am excited along with the students who are returning to their schools and hope that this academic year will bring with it an opportunity to learn and teach about unity – a lesson we need now more than ever.

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Election day for the 25th Knesset has arrived, and the fifth election campaign in less than four years is coming to an end. Although the election repetitiveness is likely to lead to despair among some Israelis, we must all remember: exercising our right to vote is most prominent expression of democracy in its simplest and most necessary sense – and we must not give up our right to be part of a process in which Israel's sovereignty is realized before our eyes.

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I call on the entire Israeli public, from all communities, sectors, beliefs, and ways of life – to go out and vote and exercise your ability to influence our lives here.

Just as it is important that we all show up at the ballot boxes and choose the faction that reflects our views, it is important that we, the country's citizens, show up and stand behind the democratic process as well. Each and every one of us, from all walks of Israeli society, must assist - and not harm, God forbid – the optimal implementation of this process, in all its stages, and those who carry it out. Of course, it is no less important to honor the results of the election – whatever they will be. It is a fundamental obligation for us as a civilized society, the kind that not only creates common ground for us but also prevents chaos and anarchy.

Sadly, the months of the election campaign led to a disturbing increase in the extent of physical and verbal violence – in the field and on social media. Now is precisely the time to alter course, take a deep breath and adopt moderation, responsibility, and respect.

We must not forget, even for a moment: those who think differently from us are not enemies. Those who support a party that represents views and opinions we disagree with is not a traitor or fifth columnist. True, disagreements are and will always be an integral part of the democratic landscape. Still, we must ensure that they are conducted in a respectable manner and give room to others and their opinions.

There are many complex challenges ahead of us, which will be there even after the polls are closed. Our experiences as a country have already taught us that our optimal ability to face any challenge depends on Israel's solidarity and on seeing our common ground.

When we all go home, after having exercised our rights at the ballot box, and sit down in front of our televisions in anticipation of the election results, we must remember one thing: the most important choice is the one we make in ourselves, in what unites us, when there is so much that separates us.

Even after the election, we will return and choose to live here in partnership, believing that we have a promising and shared way to go together.

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This special day has arrived again – September 1. Once again we begin to feel the pleasant coolness of the Hebrew month of Elul. The notebooks are back in the backpacks and the books rustle in their new wraps.

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This year, like every other year, every other generation, all that enter the educational institutions hold in their hearts the hope – and promise – to do their best. To study hard, invest in assignments, and of course – excel in all subjects.

It is no coincidence that the beginning of the school year coincides with the month of mercy and forgiveness ahead of the new Hebrew year. These are times of soul-searching.

A time of reflection on the past and excited anticipation for the future. At this time we leave behind the bad habits and take it upon ourselves to develop good and proper ones.

To the dear students of Israel who read these lines, I want to tell you a secret. A school year is not a sprint, but a marathon. You should plan for the long term and be ready to work hard and renew the promise of excellence every day, every morning. Do not get discouraged. There is no other way, for this is how you reap the fruits of success and practice. You need to plow the land of reading and writing with all the pulsating and well-known spirit of initiative, and what is known as Israeli chutzpah. Sometimes we forget that this legacy – of hard work that leads to excellence – is an Israeli legacy.

After all, this was the spirit of the people who founded our country, with diligence and hard work, and it is being built generation by generation. And just like back then, so too today, in order to be able to deal with the unusual challenges ahead of us, we simply have to be the best. A step ahead of everyone.

This is what I wish and ask of all the schoolchildren in Israel, and in fact, of all of us: that the legacy of Israeli excellency lead us in every field and sphere. May we commit to doing our best this year and implement it on September 1 and every following day.

May this be a good, educational, enriching, sweet and successful year.

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When I was elected president of Israel, my wife Michal and I privately celebrated for another reason, besides the great responsibility and trust placed in me: the fact that from now on, we would have the privilege of living in Jerusalem, a city that has had a deep place in our hearts for many years.

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Yes, it is a privilege to live in Jerusalem. And every morning over the past year, waking up in Jerusalem, we have felt a certain excitement, an excitement of the sort that only life in Jerusalem can provide.

The poet Yehuda Amichai, for whom Jerusalem was his heart and soul, wrote in one of his poems a verse that captures something of my feelings: "Jerusalem is a swing: sometimes I descend into the generations and sometimes I rise into the heavens." And that's Jerusalem: a city in which polar opposites, diversity, and change are all fused with each other, lending it its unique character.

There is no other city in the world like Jerusalem. A city that people pine for, a city that they face to pray, and for whose sake they pray, a city to which so many look up. A city that serves as common ground but is often also a locus of frictions. A city that contains everything of everything: the spirit of sanctity and the vibrancy of day-to-day life. Jerusalem is a city whose one million inhabitants reflect the entire mosaic of Israeli society and its complexity, a city whose name means "peace," yet a city that has also known many wars.

Jerusalem Day is a symbol of one of the formative events in the city's history. From the day that Jerusalem was unified, all parts of it have been growing and developing. And while safeguarding its sovereignty as the State of Israel's capital, Jerusalem also promises freedom of worship for members of all religions, and no less importantly – a form of coexistence that does not diminish difference and tradition, and which brings to light the hidden power of our ability to live together and work together hand in hand.

On Jerusalem's festive day, a national holiday for us all, our hope for Jerusalem is that it preserve its unique character, including the burst of renewal and growth that it has experienced in recent years. I am sure that the future that awaits Jerusalem and its people will be no less impressive and promising than its rich past.

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Our tiny country was the playground for his immense talent. A field on which the late Yoram Taharlev astonished us with his words, and his words were essentially the story of us all. He saw the country as a tiny bit of heaven, and that's exactly how we experienced it in his poems and songs, and how we wanted – just like he did – for it to have 40 years of quiet.

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Together, we discovered the land whose roots were already deep within ourselves, together we prayed silently for the Land of Israel, and together we believed with all our hearts that with all due respect to what was and what would be, what really mattered was today.

For decades, Taharlev pursued the love of his life – his love for the country and its people. For him, it was a beautiful bride, and it did open its gates to him and sing to him.

These gates were also the gates to our hearts, which filled with excitement every time another line of his sparked longing, or made us smile at another of his witty phrases.

Now, sadly, his journey is over. The youth of the man who was eternally young, the man who with such enormous talent wrote down what all of us felt, is over.

Nothing can wash away the love he brought into our lives, and tears of sadness cannot close the gate that opened, the gate of Yoram Taharlev's life and work. We will continue to pass his songs and work that are on our lips down through the generations.

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Tell me, what on earth is going on with us? How did our discourse become so inflammatory, extreme, and unrestrained? How have social media platforms become an arena where seemingly everything goes, where anyone and anything can be dragged through the mud, humiliated, scorned, where any adversary or just someone with a differing opinion can be treated as an enemy?

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It's hard to argue that social media hasn't done a lot of good for the world. These networks give voice to a wide range of opinions and create well-intentioned communities seeking to do good, help, and support others, and even save lives. Today, however, there's no doubt that the boundaries aren't clear enough, and that these praiseworthy platforms are also a vehicle for bullying, intimidation, and violence. We are all exposed to insults and obscenities that we must not accept. We must put an end to the undue suffering.

We need to change this extreme and incendiary discourse. The ability to facilitate this change starts with each and every one of us, on our cell phones and keyboards. Before we post another derogatory comment just because we can, before we slander or berate anyone who disagrees with us – let us pause, take a deep breath, and remember: flagrant and hurtful language doesn't get us anywhere. It only causes damage. And beyond hurting the person we are targeting, it first and foremost hurts us all: our society, our ability to live here together, to build a common future together. This is the most fundamental and necessary level – the level where we personally put an end to keyboard violence.

There's another level, of bringing light and good into the world. After all, words have tremendous power. They can create reality and change it, they can be destructive, but they also have the power to rebuild and rehabilitate.

Therefore, in the belief that we are capable of coming together to alter our discourse on social media, I call on all of us to "think hard" and invite you to join a campaign we are currently launching to encourage different conduct on social media.

If we change the atmosphere, if we lift others a little more, every one of us, if we see the good, are generous with praise, if we can be a light unto others – I'm certain that together we can forge a more pleasant public space conducive to improving our shared lives here in this beautiful country. In the words of Jerusalemite poet Yehuda Amichai: "In this burning land, words must provide shade."

I will repeat here what said in my inauguration speech as president: Let us choose, every day anew, ourselves. Let us win together, as opposed to just beating each other. Let's choose happiness and joy, and extinguish the flame of hate with the Israeli spirit and love for our country.

Let us choose to be united not just in values and principles, but also in our hopes and dreams. I believe in us. I believe that if we think positively, and type positively, good will come.

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The Hebrew year 5782, which is about to begin, is a shmita year. Once every seven years, the people of Israel are commanded to allow the ground and people to rest. Possibly to rethink our course. And who knows how badly we need a short break after the difficult year we have had.

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This past year, coronavirus turned out to be more stubborn than we thought, and continued to claim lives and overshadow our welcome routines at the economic, social, family, personal, and human levels. This past year, our enemies have continued to test our determination to defend our borders and our citizens, and rampaging elements among us are threatening to set our joint fabric of life on fire that we continue to develop through hard work.

And despite all the challenges that amassed this year – we succeeded. The IDF and other security forces are protecting our borders from north to south, and working day and night to ensure calm on our streets. Our firefighters are bravely defending our nature and communities from raging wildfires, and medical teams are busy administering vaccinations and taking care to protect us from the virus as well as providing those who contract it with the best care possible. Only a few weeks ago our athletes won Olympic gold medals and brought us international pride.

More than anything else, the crises that befell us this year proved yet again that the ties that connect us are deeper and stronger than the forces that seek to tear them apart or weaken them. That in the moment of truth, every single resident of Israel, of any background and any worldview, has the power to bridge disputes, join hands, and work together to overcome difficulties, and build a model society and flourishing country.

In one of her most beautiful poems, Leah Goldberg writes: "Every year the ground renews itself / the grows white and the citrus golden / Every year many people are born / To tears and to laughter, to unity and hatred / There is someone who wants only good – this year, too."

This year, too, we wish that the old year and its curses will pass, to be replaced by the new one and its blessings. This year, too, we ask only for good. But this shmita year demands introspection. It causes us to think about how it is not enough to long for good – one must act. To do good.

May this new year be good to us. May the country be quiet, and may we learn to relinquish our internal disputes, rivalries, and anger, to lift our gaze and see that we aren't actually so far apart, that only a handshake separates us. Because in the end, we all ask and long for good, and of course health. May it be so.

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