Netanyahu Honors Ethiopian Jews at Jerusalem Day Memorial:  “You Are Heroes of Zion”

These remarks were made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the State Memorial Ceremony for Ethiopian Jews who perished on their way to Israel, at Mount Herzl:

"President of the State, Yitzhak Herzog, and his wife Michal, Esteemed guests; The dear Qessotch, the revered leaders of the remarkable Ethiopian community; My brothers and sisters, immigrants from Ethiopia; And today, above all, the relatives of those who perished on the path leading to Jerusalem.

Esteemed guests, A few days ago, I witnessed a scene that deeply moved me. I watched it together with my wife, Sara. I saw hundreds of people honoring the memory of Golani Brigade fighter, Staff Sergeant Adir Eshtu Bugala, may his memory be a blessing. They gathered at the Yarkon Junction. Some wore commemorative shirts for Adir. Some were wrapped in the national flag, others in the yellow-green flag of Golani. In the 'Adir Procession', as they called it, leading the march were his parents, Gideon and Ortal Bugala. They proceeded to the military section of the Segula Cemetery in Petah Tikva. In that moment, immense pain intertwined with tremendous pride.

Adir Bugala from Ariel fell during the October 7 attack while defending the Nahal Oz outpost in the Gaza envelope. He fought alongside his comrades with supreme bravery until the last bullet and beyond. He battled the cursed terrorists who raided our cities and communities and kidnapped our loved ones. We are determined to bring them all home. We are determined to achieve a complete victory over our enemies.

In the very same week that the special memorial for Adir took place, his relative, Rami Desta, published his new book, The Power of Community. Rami is an Israeli Police officer. In his book, he addresses the martial education of many from the Ethiopian community. Like all of us, he sees the high number of fallen soldiers from Ethiopian families in the War of Independence.

What drives these young people to serve in elite units?

Here’s the answer from The Power of Community: 'We went to the army with full force, because of the centuries-long anticipation of Jews to ascend to Israel, to protect the country, because for us, having a state is not a given. Those who come to this country from the Diaspora understand how precious and important this state is. We must defend it.'

But Rami Desta doesn’t stop there. He vividly describes the journey of suffering and heroism he endured as a 14-year-old boy to reach Israel, the journey of his family, and the price paid by many other families, including that of the heroic Adir.

The driving force for the thousands of Jews who left their cities and villages forty years ago and more, that driving force was encapsulated in one word that says it all: Jerusalem. The perilous foot journey through the routes of Ethiopia and Sudan demanded immense sacrifice. Every step in that wild expanse was accompanied by tension, great fear, and pain. These were extreme experiences in every sense, leaving deep scars. We see this here every year. I see you ascending the stage: a mother who lost her child; others who lost parents or relatives. An exhausting march for weeks on end in the scorching heat of the day and the total darkness of the night; the cruel blows of nature; the severe lack of food and water; diseases and epidemics; the inhuman violence of those in power, the savage brutes in Ethiopia and Sudan.

This daily struggle for survival demanded endless sacrifice from you. The dam of tears broke time and again at the sight of loved ones and friends whose strength gave out under these hardships. And then what was left? A mound of dirt over a hastily dug grave, a small stone, or a branch, a tree branch above, and that was it. Thus, the pain of separation is seared into the heart forever. But you did not fall. You did not give up. You pressed forward, also for their sake. You knew Jerusalem awaited you; the love for Jerusalem, which has always been in your blood, in your bones. Just as we do not forget the thousands of those from Ethiopia who perished, who did not live to embrace the stones of Jerusalem. Their heroism is etched in the story of the Zionist waves of immigration throughout the generations!

My friends, my brothers and sisters,Three months ago, at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem, we held a profoundly moving event honoring those who came in 'Operation Moses' on its 40th anniversary. I told you there, you are a community of heroes! To anyone who treated you with condescension, as if you were weak or pitiable: We say in the clearest terms: You are not weak, you are not pitiable, you are not inferior, you are heroes in every sense of the word! The adults who survived the torments of the journey, they are heroes! The young people, like Adir Eshtu Bugala, and all their comrades, the defenders of the homeland, they are heroes in every sense!

A year ago, when I addressed the American Congress, I presented to the elected officials in the United States the incredible story of Paratrooper officer Avichai Reuven. Avichai heard about the events unfolding in the Gaza envelope on the morning of October 7. He rushed to grab his personal weapon, dashed from his home in Kiryat Malachi, and ran twelve kilometers, ran twelve, with his personal to weapon to save twelve kilometers to rescue the wounded and eliminate terrorists. You are a community of heroes!

To my dear ones, it is not that there is nothing more to do; there are challenges, there are hardships, there are issues that still need to be addressed – and we will address every one. of these issues. Soon, we will pass another government resolution to increase funding for the integration of Ethiopian immigrants in Israel. I expect the ministers here present, to know, will fully support fully, and I expect the same from the Knesset, too. I say this to you, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, and to you, too, Benny. Everyone should support this.

And here’s another interesting recent development: The Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, in collaboration with community members and the Jewish Agency, initiated the establishment of the first-ever 'Golden Age Home' for Ethiopian immigrants. In fact, these are two assisted living homes, in Beersheba and Kiryat Ata. There will be social bonds and cultural activities there. There will be a life of dignity for the elderly and the upright stature of free Jews on the soil of Israel. A Golden Age Home, for a community worth its weight in gold!

Today, on the 58th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem, our eternal capital, we salute you, our brothers and sisters from Ethiopia. This is the victory of faith, of hope, the victory of willpower. This is the victory of the love for Jerusalem. This is the realization of the dream of the dear ones who perished, whose memory is enshrined here, at the pinnacle of Jerusalem, for years and generations.

My dear ones of the Ethiopian community,

On your festive day, on our festive day, Jerusalem Day,

I wish you my warmest blessings. Ascend and succeed!"