The Israel Prize is generally considered the state’s highest cultural honor, and the televised award ceremony is traditionally watched by a large number of Israelis. This year, however, with Miriam Peretz, a bereaved mother, among the winners, the ceremony generated even greater interest. Indeed, the speech Peretz delivered at the ceremony on April 19, concluding Independence Day events, touched many hearts.
Ongoing discussion about the speech days after its delivery and the idea gaining momentum that she should be appointed president of Israel suggest how much Israelis long for leaders who can heal the nation’s wounds. The simple messages of her speech — among them unity, dedication and love of the other — succeeded in breaking through the walls of cynicism standing today. People on the left and the right came together to shed a tear and share a sense of common destiny.
