No Independence Day Celebration This Year

My fellow Israelis, dear citizens.

After a great deal of consideration, I have decided to turn to you directly and to tell you that there will be no Eurovision. True, Hamas announced a cease-fire. We are all free now for Independence Day festivities and preparations for Eurovision, but tonight, I have decided: this year, there will be no celebrations. There will be no ceremony. No stages, no fireworks, no air show.

And yes, I have contacted the European organizers and informed them that unfortunately, Tel Aviv this year will not be hosting Eurovision.

Dear citizens, for almost 25 years, most of them under my leadership, during which we have tried to maintain the Oslo Accords at any cost, to maintain the hope for peace, or at least the hope for a normal life in our land, Eurovision in Tel Aviv should have been the victory of sanity, the victory of normalcy over the insanity that Gaza is sucking us into.

I have devoted all of my energies and all of my skills for all of these years to postpone the end. In order to try and preserve the hope of a normal life, safe and prosperous in our land. I have exhausted all options in order to reach a settlement. But tonight, I have decided no more. Because understand: the choice before us now is that in exchange for the delusion of a so-called normal life, we would need to allow Gaza to continue to threaten us. We would need to allow Hamas to arm itself and to extort Israeli citizens. We we would need to allow the murderers to continue raining volleys of terror on our citizens whenever it suits them and according to their whims.

No, no, dear citizens. Tonight that comes to an end. The first task of any government is to protect its citizens. This is my responsibility, and I intend to fulfill it.

I hereby announce that the Oslo Accords, which have turned Israel into a hostage of Gaza and terrorist organizations, are null and void. At this moment, all residents of Gaza are receiving -- by means of audio announcements and fliers from above -- clear directions to which areas they are to evacuate in order to preserve their lives.

At this time of emergency, Israeli citizens are asked to remain at home and to give all necessary assistance to those who find it difficult to reach a nearby shelter.

Dear citizens, there are moments in the lifetime of a nation, moments in which those in leadership must look you straight in the eyes and tell you the truth, even if it is difficult. We made a mistake when we thought we could buy peace and serenity at the cost of surrendering our land. We made a mistake and paid a price that is too heavy to bear. Correcting this mistake is incumbent upon us, upon this generation, to deal with our mistake today, and not to pass it down to our children and future generations. Because if we do not eliminate the gaping wound of Gaza today, it will not end with Gaza and Iran. Syria, and terror organizations from the north will quickly join in the festivities.

The war now in Gaza is not about Eurovision taking place. No, no. In my strategic view, the war in Gaza today is a war about the basic legitimacy of Israel's existence, and restoring its strategic position and its position in the region and in the world.

The war in Gaza today is about Israel's ability to continue existing tomorrow. It will not be easy. But I have instructed the IDF to complete the operation in the same amount of time it took them to conquer the Gaza Strip during the Six Day War. From the moment that the civilian population received appropriate warning, the IDF is no longer responsible for the well-being of those on the battlefield, and we will certainly not endanger our children for their sakes.

From our trust in the Rock of Israel, in the Eternity of Israel, and from a deep faith in the soldiers of the IDF and their commanders, I am certain that we will emerge from this operation strong and secure. The children of Sderot and Ashdod, Rechovot and Beersheva, will once more go to bed in safety and sleep sweetly.

We owe this to our children.

We owe this to future generations.

We owe this for the continued existence and prosperity of the State of Israel.

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Would you be prepared to hear a speech like this from the Prime Minister?

Or would you prefer to continue buying a delusion of normalcy in exchange for selling our independence to Hamas and terror organizations in the North?

Would you be prepared to make the necessary sacrifice so that your children would have the same secure country you were born into?

Or would you prefer to continue sweeping the hot coals under the rug and leave your children to grow up and have to deal with the raging fire?

It is clear that if Israeli leadership were to stand tall like this and speak directly to the citizens, the public would stand behind it without the slightest quibble. So why doesn't Netanyahu do this? Why doesn't Gantz demand it?

I would like to hear what you think. You will continue to hear what I think. And I would appreciate you sharing this.

Moshe Feiglin

ZEHUT - Your Hope for Liberty

#YomHaatzmaut