The Knesset opened its winter session Monday, amid its members' promise for a stormy winter. The Knesset's factions are set to spend the next several months debating settlement freeze, the forming of a biometric database, a reform in the Israel Land Administration, a controversial budget cut and a referendum bill, to name a few.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dedicated most of his speech to a harsh attack on a United Nations report on the Israeli operation in Gaza, which accused Israel and Hamas of committing war crimes in Gaza.
He mentioned Hamas' war crimes and stressed, "We will not let (former Prime Minister) Ehud Olmert, (former Foreign Minister) Tzipi Livni and (Defense Minister) Ehud Barak, who sent our sons to war, reach the Hague International Criminal Court."
"The right for a Jewish state and the right for self-defense are two of the foundations of our people's existence," the prime minister said at the start of his speech. "These two rights are interlocked. Without a state of our own, we won't be able to defend ourselves, and without the ability to defend ourselves we won’t be able to defend the State.
"These basic rights of the people of Israel are under an ongoing attack, an attack which has increased since the Second Lebanon War and Operation Cast Lead. Our first mission is to ward off this attack."
Netanyahu went on to harshly slam the Goldstone Report. He started by addressing the Goldstone committee's authority to probe "the violations of international law on the part of the Israeli occupying force against the Palestinians."
He turned to the Knesset members and stressed, "I want you to pay attention to the wording, 'The Israeli occupying force'. And this is after we evacuated every centimeter of Gaza.
"This distorted report, written by this distorted committee, undermines Israel's basic right for self-defense. This report encourages terror and endangers peace. I want to clarify here: Israel will not take any chances for peace if it cannot defend itself."
"This report presents Israel's leaders, commanders and IDF soldiers as war criminals," Netanyahu added, "but the truth is the exact opposite. The leaders of Israel and its army are the ones who went out to defend Israel's citizens against war criminals."
The prime minister mentioned Hamas' crimes – declaring its intent to destroy Israel, the rocket fire, and the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit. "We will not let Ehud Olmert, Tzipi Livni and Ehud Barak, who sent our sons to war, reach the Hague International Criminal Court."
During the speech, Knesset Member Jamal Zahalka (Balad) called out towards the prime minister, "You killed 400 children!" He was silenced by the Knesset speaker.
Netanyahu said in response to the Arab MK's calls, "At the UN the Israeli prime minister was received with more politeness than by some of the Knesset members." MK Dov Khenin (Hadash) called out, "Don't educate us."
The prime minister went on to talk about the peace process, mentioned his Bar-Ilan speech, and stressed that "we are willing to work hard for peace," adding that he expects the same willingness from the Palestinian Authority.
Netanyahu called on heads of the Palestinian Authority to tell their people the truth. "Without recognizing the State of Israel as the Jews' state we won't be able to reach peace. This is also the time for leaders of the region's Arab countries to tell their people the truth, that the State of Israel is not Islam's enemy."
He reiterated his call to the Palestinians to launch immediate peace negotiations. "I have already said that I am not setting any preconditions for peace talks with the Palestinians. We are working so that our joint efforts with US President Obama's administration will lead to their swift resumption.
Despite the lack of cooperation on the Palestinian side, Netanyahu stressed, "We must not lose hope. We seek peace in a sober, realistic way, in a way which is not detached from reality, but connected to reality.
As expected, Netanyahu said that the top priority in terms of security was the Iranian nuclear threat. "In the past few months, the real face of Iranian tyranny is being revealed: A regime supporting terror and building hidden facilities for the production of nuclear weapons. President Obama recently reiterated his commitment to prevent Iran from obtaining such a weapon."
He also mentioned a series of other issues on the agenda, including strengthening the economy, improving education and the war on violence. "We must return security to our streets now, and reduce the differences between the periphery and center now," he said.
The prime minister concluded by saying, "There is one thing which helps us deal with the challenges successfully: The recognition of the State of Israel as the only home of our people, the Jewish people. The Jews have no other state, and we seek no other state. With God's help, we will work to bring security, prosperity and peace to Israel. With God's help, this is how it will be forever. Shana Tova."
President Shimon Peres took the podium before Netanyahu, telling the 120 Knesset members that the coming winter will see them "make difficult and far-reaching decisions."
Peres chose to focus on two major issues, security and education: "The construction of the State of Israel cannot be completed until the peace process is completed. We have no emotional partner for peace. The peace we have and the one we strive for is not a romantic one – it is a necessity. And we prefer such peace to an endless process.
"This is not the peace we have been dreaming of, but it will suffice," said the president.
"We now have two options to choose from: We can shoulder the responsibility of what is happening in the West Bank solely, face growing, hostile criticism and end up with a de facto Palestinian state, to we can continue negotiating with the Palestinian Authority until a solution is struck.
"Faced with a choice between unavoidable war and unavoidable peace I choose the latter. I believe the two-state solution is a public consensus. We cannot back away from it and we have no viable alternative to it."
Turning his attention to the challenges faced by the education system, Peres said that Israel has to cultivate its human capital.
"We have no capital but human capital, one that must be created. We have to guarantee free elementary and higher education to every child of we are to guarantee a better future for Israel.
"We cannot abide the deterioration of the educational system and the rise in illiteracy. Violence among our youth is a plague we must eradicate."
Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin was the first to take the podium. Rivlin chose to began his address with a reference to the past summer's violent streak, and urges Knesset members to set a personal example.
"We too, in our debates here, are to blame for using verbal violence? Is this really the way the Knesset is supposed to conduct itself? Can this Knesset truly be the arena of true, effective debate, even if it is, sometimes, bitterly harsh? Or have we reached a point of utter chaos?" Rivlin wondered aloud.
"Have we come to a point in time when the Knesset has become irrelevant simply because is can no longer be the place of serious discussion, one that commands public attention? We must contemplate our national priorities… It is up to us to examine the way we have been conducting ourselves within the walls of this House."
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