It felt a little like déjà vu on Thursday night. My mind was transported back to February 2003 when the whole of Israel waited with baited breath as the Space Shuttle Columbia re-entered the earth's atmosphere with the very first ever Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon on board. Despite feeling immense pride at the amazing achievements made by a tiny country and its first astronaut, the day was not to end well. The space shuttle burned up during its re-entry to the atmosphere killing all on board in the process. Ilan Ramon's memory remains a folk legend in Israel. And so, too, there was disaster last night as Beresheet, Israel's first ever lunar craft, made its final approach to the Sea of Serenity. Unfortunately another failure along Israel's route to becoming a superstar country in the area of space travel and exploration. The quest to become only the world's fourth country to safely land a craft on the moon was not achieved yesterday by the Israeli lunar lander.
In spite of another setback for Israel in the field of space exploration, there were so many positive things that came out of Beresheet's trip to the moon that it is really difficult to see it as a failure at all. Coming at the end of a week that also saw a general election that proved to be very divisive in many respects, it was heart-warming to see how the country and the Jewish world united in support of Beresheet. Willing it to safely land on the surface of the moon. Willing Israel to take up an important place as one of the handful of nations to achieve this. This unified support was in such contrast to the previous few days over the period of the election, and would have seemed impossible only two or three days earlier. This extended not only to those in Israel, but to Jews around the world. We could feel a real sense of support from Jews around the world during the time of this project, something that is not taken for granted at all.
The fact that Israel became only the seventh nation on earth to send a spacecraft into orbit around the moon, is a huge achievement in itself. And this was the very first project not sponsored by a national government, making the achievement quite unique. This is a great response to those who use every opportunity to criticise Israel and to those who wish to destroy her. This is the way to answer those who accuse Israel of being an apartheid state, and to demonstrate to BDS and its supporters that there is tremendous depth to Israeli ingenuity and huge desire to develop, to build and to make a real difference in science, technology and other fields. This is the way to show that the Israel that is seen on BBC and CNN and that is castigated at the UNHRC, is not the real face of Israel. Beresheet is a much truer face and a fairer reflection of what Israel really stands for and what she is truly about. This shows Israel to be a nation that builds rather than destroying, and this stands in stark contrast to the lack of any positive achievements by many of Israel's enemies.
The attention that this project has drawn to the field of space travel and space exploration in Israel is almost on the scale of the attention drawn to it by Ilan Ramon and his exploits. Surely, the interest of the next generation is almost assured in the process. In spite of the slip-up at the final hurdle, young Israelis have been excited by this story sufficiently to ensure that they will be seeking ways of succeeding where Beresheet failed. In the same way that we did not hear the last of Ilan Ramon when Columbia disintegrated and he went on to become a household name and a legend, I am sure that we have not heard the end of an Israeli lunar landing. It seems not to be coincidental that the name chosen for the spacecraft was Beresheet, the first word in the Torah with the meaning of "in the beginning". Just as the name signifies, this seems to be just the beginning of great things to come.
Huge credit needs to go to the SpaceIL team, to sponsor and president Morris Kahn and to all those involved in the project. They gave Israel and Israelis a dream and something around which to unite and feel proud. And they gave thousands of Israeli children the little flame to ignite their interest and their desire and determination to ultimately succeed in the quest to have Israel successfully land on the moon. This is a huge achievement and a very positive island in a huge sea of negativity that often surrounds Israel.
The Israeli flag and the Torah are on the moon. They landed there with a crash rather than in the elegant way that we would have preferred. But they are there to stay. They may have crashed, but they did not burn. A marker has been established, and this is certainly not the last that we will hear of Israeli ventures in space. It is just the beginning.
Forty years have passed since the rescue of Jewish hostages was carried out by IDF soldiers at Uganda's Entebbe airport. A number of events were held recently to mark the occasion, and to remember all that happened in the hijacking of the Air France plane, the separation of the Jewish hostages from the others and the ultimate rescue of the hostages in an astonishing operation by IDF troops. With a heavy heart, the victims of this hijacking and rescue operation were also remembered and commemorated. In total, 4 of the hostages were killed as well as the IDF commander of the operation, Lt. Col. Yonni Netanyahu. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chose this opportunity to visit Entebbe for the first time, to personally witness the place where his older brother was killed.
Operation Thunderbolt was renamed Operation Yonatan to commemorate its fallen commander. With the luxury of hindsight to look back on this operation, the legacy that Operation Yonatan has left for Israel and its security establishment can be assessed. This rescue mission was undoubtedly one of the most daring and audacious missions of its type during its day, and even since then. It has been the subject of numerous books, movies and military case studies, such has been the level of interest into the operation. Besides the audacity and sheer chutzpa involved in pulling off this operation, the tiny details that were taken into consideration and the very short period of time within which all the preparations were made, have served to elevate the mission to legendary status.
The ramifications of this operation in Israel, and in the Jewish world in general, have been profound. The operation has elevated Israel's secret service, the Mossad, to be afforded greater respect and recognition by lay people and peers in a way that other secret service organisations do not enjoy. Because much of the work undertaken by secret service organisations, particularly the Mossad, is secret by its nature and is seldom made public, it is difficult to measure the effectiveness and the successes of the organisation. Operation Yonatan was a visible sign of success, not only for the IDF, but indeed for the Israeli secret service. It was, after all, the Mossad who were responsible for much of the intelligence-gathering, and who were integrally involved in every step of the operation. It was one of the few visible successes that the Mossad would be happy to be publicly associated with, and which served to demonstrate its amazing capabilities. This operation (along with a few others), has given the Mossad the status of a legend in the secret service world. Israel's enemies know that they should be on their guard to expect the unexpected. They have learned from this that very little is beyond the Mossad's capabilities. Not only does the Mossad have the ability to carry out these types of operations, it also has the audacity and fearlessness to do so. That legend continues to the current day. Frequently, when crazy and improbable "accidents" occur that impair the work being done by Israel's enemies, the Mossad is the first organisation suspected of involvement. Despite the automatic suspicion of the Mossad and the close monitoring of its operations, it is extremely seldom that hard evidence can be brought to confirm involvement of Mossad agents in an operation. Rather than causing the Mossad to operate with impunity or carelessness, it gives the Mossad the impetus to carry out more and greater operations in the protection of the State of Israel and Jews around the world.
The fact that Operation Yonatan rescued both Israeli and non-Israeli Jews has also left its mark. There is no other country around the world, whose secret service operates to protect the citizens of countries that are not its own. And yet, this is the hallmark of the Mossad, as borne out by Operation Yonatan, when it comes to the protection of Jews who are not citizens of Israel. The reason that the hostages were separated in Entebbe as they were, had nothing to do with them being citizens of Israel. Instead, they were separated on the basis of whether they were Jewish or not. Exactly as was the case during the Shoah. Clearly, the Israelis were automatically included in the group of Jews, but they were not alone. When Operation Yonatan was carried out, it was carried out in the name of all the Jews in the group, whether they were Israeli or not. This was further evidence from the government of Israel, and from the instruments of the government, that the country stands ready to help Jews from all corners of the earth. This was cemented into law when the Law of Return was enacted to allow Jews to claim immediate citizenship of the State of Israel, and has been demonstrated in numerous rescue missions of Jews when they were considered to be in danger. Operation Yonatan was another significant sign of this commitment.
Little has changed over the past 40 years in terms of the threat that confronts Jews, no matter where they happen to be in the world. We have seen Jews establish a level of comfort in their host countries, only to come under threat again. The latest wave of violence in Europe, and in France in particular, has certainly been directed against Jews. It is with pride and confidence that the State of Israel reaches out to these Jews to offer them protection in their homes, but also to offer them a home with greater protection. And we have seen these Jews take up on this in their droves. This is, amongst other things, the legend of Operation Yonatan. Wherever Jews are in the world, the Jewish state will protect them.
Perhaps the greatest legacy left by Operation Yonatan comes in a much more personal form. The death of Yonni Netanyahu left a scar on his family, and left a profound mark on a 27 year-old MIT student. This student was Benjamin Netanyahu, younger brother of Yonni. In his own words, the death of his older brother, "changed my life and steered it to its current course". It is tough to judge to what extent the death of Yonni really spurred Benjamin to achieve what he has achieved over the years. It is possible that he would have risen to be prime minister of Israel and one of the most influential leaders on earth, even without the push that he received from Yonni's death. But we know about what he has managed to do in rising to be one of the best known and most influential people, and the influence that he has exerted over the years. And we know that much of this has been with Yonni in mind. The visit to Entebbe by the prime minister was not only in his capacity as prime minister, but was intensely personal as he mourned at the location where his older brother and hero met his death. One could not help wondering what Yonni would be thinking as he looked down on the scene from his seat in heaven.
As we look at the events at Entebbe with the benefit of 40 years of hindsight, the legacy is probably stronger now than it was in the euphoric days that followed the operation. The strong message sent out by the Israeli government regarding its commitment to protect Jews around the world, and the message sent out by the IDF and the Mossad regarding their ability to do so, are louder and clearer than before. And the personal impact left on one young student who went on to be one of the world's most recognisable personalities is unquestionable. If the same set of circumstances presented themselves again, I have no doubt that the response would be no different. This ultimately proves the greatness of the operation.
On Wednesday, Israel's patience finally broke down. After months, and even years of incessant rocket fire from Gaza towards communities in the south of Israel, the government finally decided that enough is enough. A pin-point assassination was launched against the military leader of Hamas, Ahmad Jabari. In addition, air force planes were sent in to target the longer-range missiles stationed in the Gaza Strip waiting to launch attacks on the densely populated areas of central Israel. Operation Pillar of Defense hit the road, and is now already into its fifth day.
It is not only that Israel has the right to defend herself and her citizens against these attacks. The imperative is a great deal stronger. The Israeli government and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have the responsibility that requires them to do so. Israelis and foreigners alike seem to understand this. The only criticism that is being levelled against the government by Israelis in the wake of the latest operation, is that it came too late. For now, even the most dovish of the international leaders have at least expressed a level of understanding at Israel's decision to launch this operation. It is clear that none of these leaders would tolerate one missile being fired at their civilian populations, let alone the thousands of missiles that have been fired towards Israel over the past few months. It should be clear that this is a war of necessity, and not one of choice. The aggressor is Hamas, while the IDF is taking the role of simply defending the nation that it is responsible for keeping safe, and out of harm's way. Israel has no desire to kill, hurt or injure Palestinians. Israel also has no interest to take control of the Gaza Strip. The only objective of this operation is simply to stop the rocket fire which threatens Israeli citizens on a daily basis.
Even though we have unfortunately seen this more than once or twice, even in the recent past, the reaction of the Israeli nation is astonishing. Now that I am a parent of two young soldiers in the IDF, I am able to see things from a slightly different angle than was previously the case. The more I see, the more proud I feel. Our young men and women in uniform are the most incredible asset to our country and to our people. Even though they are merely children, they understand the responsibility that falls to them in this hour of need, and they are happy to accept this burden and to defend our country. They are nervous as they make their way to their bases, knowing full well what awaits them when they get there. They don't disclose their nerves to the outside world and, when the moment comes, they do their job with pride and purpose. The State of Israel and the Jewish people owe everything we have to these young soldiers.
They are not alone. When the call went out to the reserve forces to begin their preparations and to move to their bases, the response was overwhelming. Some were called out in the middle of the night and on Shabbat. Many of them are husbands and fathers to young children. Some are entitled to defer the call to duty for justifiable reasons. Many run sole proprietor businesses. And yet, they moved to bases in a green swarm without a hesitation. Roads were congested with buses and cars as thousands of reserve soldiers travelled to their staging points. The patriotism and the incredible sense of pride and enthusiasm with which they defend their country never ceases to amaze me. I feel sure that the grandparents and great-grandparents of these soldiers, many of whom lived during the period of the Holocaust and through anti-Semitism in Middle Eastern countries and who were unable to defend themselves without a Jewish army, would feel immense pride if they had the merit to witness this activity. They are the true embodiment of modern-day heroes.
For Israel, by far the most important story of the war so far is the success of Iron Dome. Iron Dome is the anti-missile defense system which was developed entirely in Israel, by Israelis for the defence of the State of Israel. Iron Dome has the unique capability of being able to respond to extremely short-range missiles, to shoot them down before they hit their targets. The sophistication and accuracy of Iron Dome is such, that it only deploys itself when missiles are launched in the direction of populated areas. At times, there are only 15 or 20 seconds available to detect the incoming rocket, and launch an Iron Dome anti-missile missile to destroy the rocket. Over the past five days, almost 750 rockets have been fired from Gaza into Israel. Approximately one-third of these have been intercepted and shot down by Iron Dome. About 30 rockets have hit targets in Israeli populated areas. This indicates two things. Firstly, a very high proportion of the rockets from Gaza are purposefully being launched towards densely populated areas in Israel. Secondly, the Iron Dome success rate has been remarkable. There was one reported Iron Dome miss yesterday, and the missile crashed into an apartment building in Ashdod. One cannot even begin to imagine the devastation that may have been caused if Iron Dome was not in existence, and not doing the unbelievably effective job that it is doing.
For a war of this level of intensity, the casualties have been relatively few. This is no thanks to the tactics that have been adopted by Hamas. On the contrary, they have been doing all that they can to maximise the casualties. The IDF has aimed its attacks at almost 1,000 targets across the Gaza Strip. Some of these attacks have been aimed at individuals who are instrumental in orchestrating and carrying out attacks on Israeli civilians. Including the targeted assassination hits, there have been approximately 70 deaths on the Palestinian side. Considering that war inevitably has "collateral damage", particularly when missiles are being fired from residential neighbourhoods in Gaza, this is remarkably low even though each civilian killed is regrettable, and should be avoided at all costs. Israeli deaths have been limited to three people killed on Thursday in Kiryat Malachi. This is thanks to a fantastic job by Iron Dome, and excellent support by the Home Front Command which has ensured that people know how to stay out of harm's way even when the rockets do hit. It is nothing short of miraculous that we have managed to avoid further loss of life and serious injury when the Palestinians have shown such great determination in trying to create as much death, destruction and havoc as possible. This says a great deal about the type of enemy that we are fighting against. There is no hesitation to launch missiles from within their populated areas, risking the lives of their own citizens. There is no hesitation in targeting the most densely populated areas of Israel with massive missiles. Israeli citizens have much to be grateful for in terms of the fantastic protection that has been afforded us by our army, and by our anti-missile defense systems.
The name given to the operation in Hebrew is "Amud Anan" (עמוד ענן). Although this has been translated into English by the IDF as "Pillar of Defense", in reality it is a biblical term which really means "pillar of cloud". It refers particularly to the divine cloud which guided the Israelites through the desert, and shielded from those who might do them harm. It is a perfectly chosen name, as we pray that our soldiers and civilians will be guided and protected by the amud anan in the same way that it guided and protected the Israelites in the desert.
Our forces are gathering in large numbers on the borders of Gaza in anticipation of a ground invasion. The backup systems have gone into high action to make sure that everything is done behind the scenes to support this to the best of our ability. We are immensely proud of our boys and girls in uniform who are unflinching in their commitment to protect our country, and our right to exist in freedom. We wish all our soldiers Godspeed in the coming days, and it is our prayer that the operation to rid Israel of the attacks from its enemies will be effective and swift in its execution. May all our soldiers be protected in all that they do. The will and prayers of an entire nation are with them.
Nobody would want to be in the shoes of Rona Ramon today, or ever for that matter. Imagine having to bury your 21 year-old son just 6 short years after burying your husband. The thought seems too awful to contemplate, and yet this is what she is doing today. The hearts of all Israelis and all Jews around the world go out to her today in her hour of grief. Not only is she having to cope with this tragedy, she is forced to do so in the full glare of the media and the public at large.
The reason for this is because Rona Ramon is no ordinary citizen of Israel. In addition to being the grieving mother of an F-16 fighter pilot, Capt. Assaf Ramon z"l, whose plane crashed yesterday during a training exercise, Rona Ramon is the widow of Col. Ilan Ramon z"l, Israel's first astronaut and national hero.
Ilan Ramon grew up in the rural town of Beersheba. Both his mother and grandmother were survivors of the Auschwitz death camp, who managed to make their way to Israel in the aftermath of the holocaust in defiance of the determination of the Nazis to wipe out the Jewish nation. Ilan was the epitome of this defiance. He was a fighter pilot in the Israeli Air Force and accumulated thousands of hours of flying experience. In 1981, he was the youngest of the pilots who were sent on a mission to destroy Iraq's Osiraq nuclear reactor.
When it came to selecting a person to be Israel's first astronaut, a more appropriate and deserving person could not have been found. Col. Ilan Ramon, a secular Jew in his private life, considered himself a representative of all Israelis and Jews around the world. As such, he sought to follow Jewish observances whilst in space. He insisted upon eating only kosher food and exercised the greatest rabbinical minds about how he should observe the Sabbath in space when the cycle between sunrises is approximately 90 minutes. He made sure that he carried with him into space a copy of a Torah scroll from the holocaust, a sketch "Moon Landscape" by Petr Ginz who died in the holocaust, a barbed wire mezuzah and a dollar of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. I recall my children, at the time 10 and 8 years old, following every aspect of his mission on the space shuttle Columbia. How proud they felt of this Israeli in space, who was representing Israel and all Jews in such an honourable and sensitive way. We knew exactly what he would eat at every meal, and what time he was being woken up by mission control to continue his intensive research and experiments. I remember how we waited proudly and nervously for his return to earth on that fateful day, 1 February 2003, whilst we were celebrating my son's 11th birthday. The scenes of debris falling from the sky that filled our TV pictures were confusing, but it soon became clear that Ilan Ramon would not return to earth safely. He perished on that day with his fellow crew members, having not even reached his 50th birthday.
The miracles concerning the belongings of Ilan Ramon that survived the ravages of the fire 37 miles above earth that killed the astronauts are legendary. 37 pages of his personal diary survived the inferno, their pages remaining white and not charred. With the help of experts from Jerusalem's Israel Museum, 80% of the text of his diary was deciphered. 1 of the pages displayed at the museum is a copy of the Kiddush prayer, recited on the eve of Sabbath, and which Ramon had with him.
Despite having already sacrificed a member of her family to the cause of science and to further Israel's standing in the international world, Rona Ramon agreed to support the wishes of her eldest son, Assaf, when he decided he wished to follow in his father's footsteps as a fighter pilot in the Israeli Air Force. It was in an F-16A, exactly the same type of plane that his father flew in his mission to Iraq, that Assaf died.
Rona Ramon, you have given to Israel two heroes. You are an Israeli hero and we salute your courage and your contribution to Israel and to all Jews around the world. Our hearts are with you today as you bury your precious son alongside the remains of his famous father. May you and your family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.
