Page 173 - big friday
P. 173
We will be worthy of the great hour
S aturday night, 6 Iyar 5708 (May 15, 1948)
A speech delivered by the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense upon
commencement of regular broadcasts by Kol Yisrael, the new state's
broadcasting station, and in light of the invasion by the Arab countries
and the first bombardments of Tel Aviv.
David Ben-Gurion
Yesterday a monumental event took place; only future generations will be able to appreciate
its full historic significance. Our job – each one of us – at this time is to build up with love
and faith, with Jewish fraternity, the State of Israel, and to defend it with his soul and his
might, so long as this is necessary. We are still in the midst of a difficult battle; a dual battle:
both political and military. Let us not embellish our actions – and certainly not our words
– with fancy-sounding names; let us walk humbly. We have achieved that which we have
achieved by standing on the shoulders of the generations that preceded us, and we have
attained that which we have attained by virtue of having received and guarded a precious
heritage, the heritage of a small nation, one that has suffered trials and tribulations, but
one that is great and eternal in its spirit, its vision, its faith, and the unique qualities of its
soul.
A t this time let us remember with love and special gratitude all the pioneers and
defenders of three generations that brought us thus far – from the founders of Petach
Tikva, Rishon LeTzion, Zichron Yaakov and Rosh Pina, to the builders of the young
settlements in the Negev and in the Galilee; from the founders of HaShomer and the
Jewish Legion to the Hagana forces that are right now waging a valiant struggle from Dan
to Beer Sheva. Many of these are no longer among the living, but their memory will never
leave our hearts and the heart of the Jewish People, for all time.
Of those alive among us I shall mention this evening only one name, an outstanding
individual who, regardless of whether or not he holds an official title, or whether or not
one agrees with his views, always remains favored by the people, and there is no-one alive
with us who has contributed as he has to all the community and political conquests of the
Zionist enterprise – Dr. Chaim Weizmann.
Y esterday the State of Israel was founded, and our Provisional Government has already
applied to the nations of the world, great and small, to the east and the west, announcing
the existence of our state and its desire to take part in the UN in the interests of peace,
prosperity and progress in the world. We have already received unofficial responses
indicating recognition of the State of Israel. The first official announcement was received
After the Declaration 171
S aturday night, 6 Iyar 5708 (May 15, 1948)
A speech delivered by the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense upon
commencement of regular broadcasts by Kol Yisrael, the new state's
broadcasting station, and in light of the invasion by the Arab countries
and the first bombardments of Tel Aviv.
David Ben-Gurion
Yesterday a monumental event took place; only future generations will be able to appreciate
its full historic significance. Our job – each one of us – at this time is to build up with love
and faith, with Jewish fraternity, the State of Israel, and to defend it with his soul and his
might, so long as this is necessary. We are still in the midst of a difficult battle; a dual battle:
both political and military. Let us not embellish our actions – and certainly not our words
– with fancy-sounding names; let us walk humbly. We have achieved that which we have
achieved by standing on the shoulders of the generations that preceded us, and we have
attained that which we have attained by virtue of having received and guarded a precious
heritage, the heritage of a small nation, one that has suffered trials and tribulations, but
one that is great and eternal in its spirit, its vision, its faith, and the unique qualities of its
soul.
A t this time let us remember with love and special gratitude all the pioneers and
defenders of three generations that brought us thus far – from the founders of Petach
Tikva, Rishon LeTzion, Zichron Yaakov and Rosh Pina, to the builders of the young
settlements in the Negev and in the Galilee; from the founders of HaShomer and the
Jewish Legion to the Hagana forces that are right now waging a valiant struggle from Dan
to Beer Sheva. Many of these are no longer among the living, but their memory will never
leave our hearts and the heart of the Jewish People, for all time.
Of those alive among us I shall mention this evening only one name, an outstanding
individual who, regardless of whether or not he holds an official title, or whether or not
one agrees with his views, always remains favored by the people, and there is no-one alive
with us who has contributed as he has to all the community and political conquests of the
Zionist enterprise – Dr. Chaim Weizmann.
Y esterday the State of Israel was founded, and our Provisional Government has already
applied to the nations of the world, great and small, to the east and the west, announcing
the existence of our state and its desire to take part in the UN in the interests of peace,
prosperity and progress in the world. We have already received unofficial responses
indicating recognition of the State of Israel. The first official announcement was received
After the Declaration 171
