Tonight we will mark French National Day (Bastille Day) in Israel. Out of respect for our Shabbat-observant friends, we are celebrating in Israel two days early. In addition to celebrating, this day is also an opportunity to remember the values it symbolizes, values that have lost none of their modernity over time. The motto "freedom, equality, fraternity" is not meant to be just words written on the fronts of public buildings in France. On July 14, 1789, the day the French Revolution began, an entire people rebelled against a dictatorship. As French philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville said: "The Revolution ... established a joint intellectual homeland that stood above specific nations, where people of all nationalities can be citizens." This intellectual homeland is our universal legacy that defends human rights, democracy and the spirit of enlightenment. Today, more than 200 years later, the struggle for these goals is just as intense. It is a struggle against anti-Semitism always poised to resurface as it takes on different shapes. French Jews, who sustained a terrible blow in the Toulouse shooting, know well that the French government is determined to protect them and ensure their safety. They are citizens of a united country that stands strong in the face of any expression of hatred, intolerance or racism. Jews are a part of our roots and our identity and take part in building our joint future. It is a struggle for security. Iran's nuclear enrichment plan poses a threat not only to Israel's security and that of the region, but to the security of the entire world. That is why France has never stopped promoting and working toward increasingly harsher sanctions on Iran. In three consecutive rounds of talks, the U.S., EU, Russia and China made some serious offers to Iran, in efforts to dissuade Iran from enriching uranium by means of dialogue. If Iran fails to respond to these offers, we will toughen our sanctions. The embargo on imported Iranian oil, which went into effect on July 1, and the sanctions on Iran's central bank, are additional expressions of Europe's determination to stop Iran. It is a struggle for freedom. France intervened in Libya by sending troops to protect citizens from Muammar Ghadafi's attacks, and to allow the Libyan people to express their legitimate political aspirations. France also did not stand by when faced with the continuing massacre of the Syrian people. France is working with its allies to expedite Bashar al-Assad's departure and to bring about a democratic regime change. This was the objective of the Friends of Syria Group meeting that took place in Paris on July 6th. It is a struggle for peace. Despite being an absolute necessity, peace between Israel and the Palestinians remains unattainable. I am very familiar with the skepticism, the obstacles and the risks, but I am still convinced that Israel and the Palestinians can and should build a joint future in the form of two states that coexist in peace and security. We are prepared to accompany the process toward this goal. And finally fraternity, or brotherhood, which is without a doubt the most appropriate term that can be used to describe the intimate and familial relationship between France and Israel, two democracies that uphold the values of enlightenment and can lean on two great and vibrant communities the French community in Israel and the Jewish community in France. Vive la France, vive la Israel, vive the friendship between our two countries.
