New Year Message of Unity and Strength

On the eve of last Rosh Hashanah,

we asked for a better year,

but before all the other requests, there was one

simple, clear request: that all our hostages

return home. We brought about the long-awaited moment and witnessed genuine,

moving embraces, including in the homes of families who

came full circle. We brought Master Sergeant Yehuda Katz home.

He fell 44 years ago because we do not forget.

Last year, we asked to be the head, not the tail.

This year, once again, we were the head.

We did what we know how to do best in the world: initiate,

lead,

surprise. We asked that our enemies and haters be cut off, and I can tell

you that we personally granted this blessing

to quite a few of them. We asked that our merits be extinguished, and we had

many, many reasons to be proud. Our economy,

the innovation we bring to the world,

the strength we revealed, the fact that Israel is now a global

power. We asked to be fruitful and multiply like fish.

And indeed, many more Jews from around the world

chose to immigrate to the Land of Israel and make the journey

Home, especially in this year. We saw much initiative,

much growth, much building, and lives

continuing forward. Dear people of Israel, it turns out our blessings

work, not always at the pace we wanted,

not always without pain,

but they work, and all this belongs to all of us.

To the women and men soldiers, the women and men reservists, to the security

forces, the women and men doctors, the women and men teachers,

to the women and men entrepreneurs, to everyone building this country,

our future, day after day. Rosh Hashanah is not only a time to sum up

what we have done, it is also a time to remember what connects us.

Because even this year, during an election period, there will be arguments among us, there will be disagreements, but

at least around one table, we should remember one simple thing that I said

to our enemies even before the war began. Don't misjudge us, because

in moments of trial, this people knows how to unite, and when we

stand together, there is no force in the world that can defeat us.

Do you know of another people that fights on seven fronts and wins on all of them?

May the year and its curses come to an end, may the year and its blessings begin.

A united and good year to all the people of Israel.