President Reuven Rivlin on Tuesday morning 17 Kislev, participated in the first Day of Recognition for Injured IDF Veterans and Victims of Terrorism, held at Beit HaLochem in Tel Aviv. The President received a tour of the center and an overview its activities, including its sport center, and rehabilitation programs for the injured and their families. He also watched a game of wheelchair-basketball and a performance by a dance troupe of disabled veterans.

Following this, the President addressed a ceremony to mark the day, with the participation of IDF Disabled Veterans Organization Chairman Chaim Bar; Victims of Terrorism Chairman Yehoshua Cohen; Friends of the IDF Disabled Veterans Organization, Chairman Maj.-Gen. (ret.) Yoav Galant and Prime Minister’s Office Director-General Harel Locker.

President Rivlin began his address by saying, “If I had been chosen to serve as President of Israel for the sole purpose of being here today, then for me, it would have sufficed. When the clouds of smoke have dispersed and the blood stains washed from the streets. So begins your journey. This is the battle after the war. The battle after the terror. A battle, not limited to time and place, and with no medals or awards. A battle that you fight with an injured body, and often, with an aching soul. A battle to breathe, to get up, to stand, to eat unassisted, to speak, to read and to write. To do up laces, buttons, to hold a cup without it falling. To hold a child in your arms. To sleep one night in peace and tranquility, free from nightmares and pain. This is a war of independence. This is your war.”

The President continued, “Heroism, as our sages taught us, is found specifically in the ongoing, daily struggle. Facing moments of despair and difficulty with patience. This heroism is demanded of you each day. Each day, you are demanded to conquer afresh, that which was already yours. But you do not stand alone. Israeli society, needs to learn from you not only what it means to be a hero, but also, and perhaps more importantly, what it means to cope, constantly and persistently, with challenges and obstacles. We know how in the heat of the moment, to be creative, to be surprising, and to reinvent ourselves. But, we do not always know how to deal with a process, to deal with long-term challenges. We don’t always know how to navigate the winding road, when each step is slow, measured and cautious.

“The challenges which lie before us today are many and diverse. They are just as social as they are security. In order to deal with the internal challenges (social, economic, cultural and national,) we need to learn from you, what it is to commit to a process; what it means to be committed to a mission; what it means to be patient and have faith, in order to treat and cure the tensions within.”

The President concluded by saying, “As we speak, in hospitals and rehabilitation centers, the injured are still fighting for their lives, enduring a long and difficult process of rehabilitation. Our prayers and thoughts are with them and their families. May the next year see no more injured soldiers, or victims of terror.”

Chairman Chaim Bar said, “This is the first time in history that we have recognized and paid tribute to the many of our people with physical and mental injuries. We have gathered here today to hear their stories and to draw hope and strength from their road to recovery.”

Victims of Terrorism Chairman Yehoshua Cohen added, “This day has been set according to the Hebrew date of the UN vote on the 29th of November in 1947. On this day, we express our much deserved gratitude to the wounded soldiers and victims of terror”.

Director-General Harel Locker, who promoted the government decision to designate the day of recognition, said, “To our sadness, nearly every Israeli is connected to the family of those injured. I am personally deeply connected. This is a family which crosses boundaries and communities throughout Israeli society. In the cynical reality in which we live, it is important to remember and to recognize those people, who under the flag of Zionism, sacrificed their health, and their way of life. There is nothing more fitting than to designate a day in the national calendar, to show our appreciation for their heroism, and acknowledge the debt that we owe each of them.”

Locker concluded, “I will soon leave my position after three intensive years, during which we have advanced countless measures. But the day of recognition for injured veterans and victims of enemy attacks and terror is in my view, the achievement of which I am most proud.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)