President Peres to the 120 Outstanding Soldiers:
"You are Israel's army of peace! Without you Israel would not be protected, with you Israel will know peace"
The President of the State of Israel, President Shimon Peres, hosted the central Independence Day celebrations at his residence in Jerusalem this morning. The celebrations included the traditional ceremony for the outstanding soldiers and the "Singing Independence with the President" event which has also become an Independence Day tradition. The event was attended by Prime Minister Netanyahu, Minister of Defense Yaalon and Chief of Staff Gantz who each sang a song they had selected along with various Israeli artists
The ceremony began with an IAF fly-over as a salute to the 120 outstanding soldiers who were chosen by their commanders for making an exceptional contribution to the IDF and who represent the cross-spectrum of the IDF. Following the fly-over President Peres and Chief of Staff Gantz inspected the soldiers. During his remarks to the soldiers President Peres said, "You are Israel's army of peace! Without you Israel would not be protected, with you Israel will know peace. The dangers have not yet passed and the hope remains. We have no intention to rest on our laurels. Israel will continue to be a place where seeds can grow. The dangers are from outside. From the madness of the Iranian regime. From Hezbollah, who have turned a holy spirit into a stockpile of weapons. And from Hamas, which turned a heavily populated civilian area into a barrel of explosives. Hope comes from within. From hard workers, brave soldiers, bold researchers. We have known wars, we will overcome terror. Murder will not win, peace is man's eternity. Outstanding soldiers, I am delighted to see you and see that you represent the diversity of the IDF. Thank you to each and every one of you. You are outstanding in an outstanding army. An army that stands prepared every day. Long live the State of Israel. Love live the IDF. Happy Independence Day to all of Israel."
Following the remarks by President Peres, the Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gantz spoke to the soldiers and said, "The country's real Iron Dome is this wonderful group here at the President's Residence today. A group that represents the elite of the IDF. At this time I also feel that we're allowed to dream of an army and a country that is equal, which will preserve the social fabric we have created here."
The celebrations at the President's Residence were broadcast live on Israeli television, websites and President Peres' Facebook page.
