The worst wildfire in Israel’s history teaches Israelis that Jews and Arabs share the same fate, Israeli President Shimon Peres said today while attending the funeral of a teenage volunteer fire fighter near Haifa.
Speaking at the funeral of fire-fighting teenager Elad Rebin in Nesher, Peres, referring to the bushfire that had been tearing through the Carmel since Thursday, that the “disaster taught us that all of us, Jews, Arabs, Druze, and other peoples, share the same fate.”
“The skies were suddenly filled with pilots and planes from twenty different countries,” the president said, adding that, on the ground, came “fire trucks and firefighters from neighbors and [nations] far away – Greece, Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Cyprus, Bulgaria, the United States, Russia, and more.”
In a possible reference to criticism of Israel’s apparent inability to deal with the blaze, Peres said that, while Israel may have been missing tools in its fight against the Carmel fire, “there was not shortage whatsoever of wonderful people and volunteers.”
“Suddenly we are all one family, one people, bearing responsibility, tearful, and ready for sacrifice, we are one,” Peres said.
Rebin, whose funeral the president attended, was a 16-year-old volunteer firefighter from Nesher, who perished on Thursday as he attempted to aid rescue workers attempting to evacuate Prison Service cadets trapped in a bus by surrounding flames.
Speaking at Rebin’s funeral in Nesher, Peres praised the teenager’s braver, saying: “No one sent you, no one called for you, no one buy your wonderful and brave conscience.”
“When the flames seized at you from every direction, Elad, you suddenly awakened the voice of your generation, the true face of a silent generation, one that volunteers, a generation of excellence, of excellent people.”
{Haaretz/Matzav.com}
Tell Peres that we, Jews, are Hashem’s ahm muvchar and as such, no one shares our fate.
This comment by President Peres is similar to the one made by the Prime Minster. I’m very glad they are on the same page and seem to be heeding a higher authority.
Perhaps something good will come of this disaster
A message to Bibi for the readers of Matsav to eavesdrop on….It will if we want it to. As PM of Israel you have a pivotal role to play. When certain dynamics present themselves it is vital to capitalise on them. Sometimes this involves just waiting, patience and trusting the universe. It can also involve direct contact, communication and movement between people. I think G-d has a plan for the Temple Mount, Jerusalem, the Holy Land and Planet Earth. But he needs his good people down here on terra firma to direct and act on his stage.
There is so much potential in the relationships between all the nations for peace, stability, order, benevolence and expansiveness. Just like the prophecy of World Peace 2050 ! There is not much more terrible than death by fire. I think the Jewish people really need to reflect and act on what is going on right now.
Prayers for the victims
Peres is very dependable. You can always count on him to say something unnecccessary and stupid.
Not so at all. it proves that we better do Teshuva before Chas VeSholom Hashem brings bigger disasters.
Once again I am dazzled by his sheer brilliance.
I am almost speechless (he may want to try it ).
I’m confused because I assumed that the birds were affected as well? Then again he may have covered that in his great wisdom and eloquence . I just couldn’t tell.
the disaster taught us that all of us, Jews, Arabs, Druze, and other peoples, share the same fate.
Nebuch. All that fire and he’s still so in the dark…
most of the above are right. but also, it shows again, and again, that terrists are evil and they will kill whomever is in their path, even their own family.
We do have to do teshuva.
and we should make an effort to be mechazek other yidden every day, as much as possible.
big inyan