President of the Maccabi World Union, Ms. Jeanne Futeran,
My friend, the hosting mayor, Mr. Zvi Bar,
Chairman of the Maccabi World Union, Mr. Igal Carmi,
Chairman of Maccabi Israel and Chairman of the Olympic Committee, Mr. Zvi Warshavik,
Participants of the Conference and honored guests from Israel and the Diaspora,
My dear brothers and sisters,

On behalf of the State of Israel and the Government of Israel, I warmly welcome you to the opening of this important conference of the Maccabi World Union.  This large, international gathering of representatives of the Maccabi movement from communities from every continent and from the State of Israel is an impressive and moving demonstration of Jewish fellowship.  The spirit of sport and the culture of the body permeate this meeting ahead of the 18th Maccabi Games, “The Chai Maccabi Games”, which will be held in Israel next summer.  However, in the same measure there is a feeling of Jewish pride here, of unity and solidarity which connect us in a steadfast alliance and strengthens us during times of trial and complex challenges.

As an avid sports fan, I look forward to the Maccabiah with excitement.  I follow sporting events around the world with great interest – last summer, for example, was a record season for us sports fans: the football European Cup games and the Olympic Games in Beijing.

However, the Maccabiah is something else, something special and closer to our hearts.  The sporting competitions and achievements are certainly impressive and important.  However no less significant – and certainly more so – is the “great spirit”.  In fact, the name “Maccabi” plucks at the heartstrings of every Jew, and thousands of young people competing in various sporting events in the Maccabiah experience for themselves – and affords us all – a unifying and unforgettable experience.  It is one of courageous connection, profound affinity and partnership spanning oceans and borders.  The State of Israel, the Land of Zion and Jerusalem, is the focus of existence for the people of Israel, and love is channeled to it and from it, from heart to heart of the Jews in the Diaspora, wherever they may be.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your conference will focus on preparing for the biggest Maccabiah ever, which is also one of the largest sporting events on an international scale.  One must of course hope that promising talent will be discovered there, and that the competitions in the various sports will produce results which will also be on an international scale.  However, this is certainly not the most important thing.  The fact of planning and preparing for the Maccabiah by 500 branches of Maccabi in 60 countries around the world, and moreover – 9,000 Jewish athletes and tens of thousands of guests who will throng to the event from all the communities, and the colorful and exciting meeting here in Israel – this is, in and of itself, the essence, the purpose and the pinnacle of the Maccabiah.  This is not just the finest hour of sports in Israel, it is the finest and most joyous hour for the State of Israel and the entire Jewish people.

Dear Friends,
From every place in the world from which you arrived to this conference, I know that your hearts – and the hearts of the communities and branches of Maccabi which you represent here – beat together with ours.  The State of Israel is at the forefront of the struggle against the rising tide of Islamic radicalism and increasing anti-Semitism, originating in Iran and the tentacles which extend from there to Hizbollah in Lebanon and the Hamas in the Gaza Strip.  Their stated goal, which echoes down this entire axis from Tehran to Gaza, is the destruction of the State of Israel, and their method of doing so is by cruel and indiscriminate terror and Iran’s attempts to acquire nuclear weapons.  Twice during my Government’s tenure, we had to take forceful military action (in Lebanon and in Gaza) in order to prevent the Hizbollah and the Hamas from continuing to fire missiles and bombs at our communities at will.

Terrorist organizations take shelter in a civilian population and act against us from populated areas.  Therefore fighting against them unavoidably, and against our wishes and our efforts, causes unintentional harm to innocents as well.  We regret this.  The civilians, who are hostages of terrorist organizations, are not our enemies and we do not fight them.  The blame for harming innocent civilians is the full responsibility of the murderous organizations.

I believe that, as we achieved effective deterrence vis-à-vis the Hizbollah in Lebanon, so too am I convinced that deterrence has been achieved vis-à-vis the Hamas and other terrorist organizations in Gaza.

The State of Israel does not rejoice in war.  Peace is our heart’s desire, and it is a significant Jewish value.  However, we will never flinch from defending our citizens and our communities from terror.  We will not accept the wild firing which destroys the peace of mind and daily routines of innocent children and Israeli citizens in the South or anywhere else in Israel.

Dear friends,
I cannot help but say a few words regarding another worrying trend, that of anti-Semitism, which has reared its head during this recent period of time in places in which you live, in Jewish communities in which you are active.

The rising trend of anti-Semitism concerns us, concerns the Government of Israel and certainly concerns every Jew, wherever he may be.  We cannot ignore when an elderly Jew is attacked in his own community, when Jewish students in schools suffer barbs of ridicule and scorn from their classmates just because they are Jewish, or when synagogues, Jewish cemeteries or any other Jewish symbols are desecrated.  We will continue to act with determination against any attempt to harm Jews around the world will every tool at our disposal.  This is our imperative as a country, as a nation, as a people.

Distinguished guests,
Your support, understanding and solidarity with Israel’s fight for security and peace grant us strength.  Please, when you return home, convey to our brothers and sisters in your communities the gratitude and blessings of the State of Israel, and my personal gratitude and blessing.  We still face tests and challenges, and together we will stand before them with moral strength, in faith and in unity, and we will achieve the most desired goal: peace and security for the people and State of Israel.

I wish you a productive and successful conference which will assure that the “Chai” Maccabiah, to which we look forward, will exceed all those which came before it.

I welcome you here.