Quebec, Israel and the Jewish community - Speech by Premier of Quebec Bernard Landry: Difference between revisions
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The [http://www.rabbinat.qc.ca/ Grand rabbin du Québec] arrives in paradise. He is welcomed by angels who lead him to his new residence, a beautiful apartment, two bedrooms, perfect sunlight and a renovated kitchen. By the window, he sees across the street a little palace, twenty rooms, ten bathrooms and nine living rooms. The rabbi asks: "Which wise man lives in this superb residence?". The angel answers: "This residence is unoccupied. It is reserved for Bernard Landry, Premier of Quebec." The rabbi enters in a terrible anger "How is it that me, a rabbi, who devoted all my existence to speak of the Torah, gets a small four and half, and him, this non-believer, gets such a beautiful residence? I want to speak to God." The rabbi expresses his complaints to God, shares his surprise and asks for an explanation. And Almighty God answer him: "You, rabbi, when you spoke about the Torah in the synagogue, everyone slept. But him, Bernard Landry, when he goes to synagogues to speak of sovereignty, everyone starts praying! " | The [http://www.rabbinat.qc.ca/ Grand rabbin du Québec] arrives in paradise. He is welcomed by angels who lead him to his new residence, a beautiful apartment, two bedrooms, perfect sunlight and a renovated kitchen. By the window, he sees across the street a little palace, twenty rooms, ten bathrooms and nine living rooms. The rabbi asks: "Which wise man lives in this superb residence?". The angel answers: "This residence is unoccupied. It is reserved for Bernard Landry, Premier of Quebec." The rabbi enters in a terrible anger "How is it that me, a rabbi, who devoted all my existence to speak of the Torah, gets a small four and half, and him, this non-believer, gets such a beautiful residence? I want to speak to God." The rabbi expresses his complaints to God, shares his surprise and asks for an explanation. And Almighty God answer him: "You, rabbi, when you spoke about the Torah in the synagogue, everyone slept. But him, Bernard Landry, when he goes to synagogues to speak of sovereignty, everyone starts praying! " | ||
53 years ago, day for day, on May 14 1948, [[Wikipedia:David Ben-Gurion|David Ben Gourion]] proclaimed the creation of the [[Wikipedia:Israel|State of Israel]]. The [[Wikipedia:Jew|Jewish people]], so rich in history and so poor in geography, was thus resurrected from its ashes to rise to the dignity of a people. The dream of a sovereign Jewish State finally became reality. How could one deny this right to a people who, although dispersed at the four corners of the world, everywhere contributed to the conquests of the mind and the advancement of all countries. [[Wikipedia:Leon Trotsky|Leon Trotski]], [[Wikipedia:Albert Einstein|Albert Einstein]], [[Wikipedia:Rosa Luxemburg|Rosa Luxemburg]], [[Wikipedia:Sigmund Freud|Sigmund Freud]], [[Wikipedia:Claude Lévi-Strauss|Claude Lévi-Strauss]], [[Wikipedia:Léon Blum|Leon Blum]], [[Wikipedia:Pierre Mendès-France|Pierre Mendès France]], and I forget many; the Jews have consolidated too many national destinies not to deserve the recognition of their ancestral rights. This State, the Jews owe it to their courage and their perseverance. Faithful to the message of the founding fathers, the Israelis built an exemplary democracy, pushing audacity as to accept within the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, political formations that are openly anti-[[Wikipedia:Zionism|Zionist]]. However, in 53 years of existence, this people, who always lived in a state of emergency, has known how to preserve the essence, democracy. | 53 years ago, day for day, on May 14 1948, [[Wikipedia:David Ben-Gurion|David Ben Gourion]] proclaimed the creation of the [[Wikipedia:Israel|State of Israel]]. The [[Wikipedia:Jew|Jewish people]], so rich in history and so poor in geography, was thus resurrected from its ashes to rise to the dignity of a people. The dream of a sovereign Jewish State finally became reality. How could one deny this right to a people who, although dispersed at the four corners of the world, everywhere contributed to the conquests of the mind and the advancement of all countries. [[Wikipedia:Leon Trotsky|Leon Trotski]], [[Wikipedia:Albert Einstein|Albert Einstein]], [[Wikipedia:Rosa Luxemburg|Rosa Luxemburg]], [[Wikipedia:Sigmund Freud|Sigmund Freud]], [[Wikipedia:Claude Lévi-Strauss|Claude Lévi-Strauss]], [[Wikipedia:Léon Blum|Leon Blum]], [[Wikipedia:Pierre Mendès-France|Pierre Mendès France]], and I forget many; the Jews have consolidated too many national destinies not to deserve the recognition of their ancestral rights. This State, the Jews owe it to their courage and their perseverance. Faithful to the message of the founding fathers, the Israelis built an exemplary democracy, pushing audacity as to accept within the [[Wikipedia:Knesset|Knesset]], the Israeli Parliament, political formations that are openly anti-[[Wikipedia:Zionism|Zionist]]. However, in 53 years of existence, this people, who always lived in a state of emergency, has known how to preserve the essence, democracy. | ||
The ardour with which Israel rehabilitated and revitalized a [[Wikipedia:Hebrew language|language several millenia old]] also deserves all our admiration. As [[Wikipedia:Shimon Peres|Shimon Peres]] says with humour, Israel is today the only place in the world where children play in the language of the [[Wikipedia:Nevi'im|prophets]], the only country where the children teach their mother tongue to their parents. Land of the prophets, Israel has known how to become a land of promises and richness for all those who came to seek refuge. Blacks and White, patients and people in good health, of Russia, of India or Ethiopia, Vietnamese "[[Wikipedia:Boat people|boat people]]" or [[Wikipedia:Muslim|Muslim]]s of [[Wikipedia:Bosnia (region)|Bosnia]]: all could discover the meaning of the word "solidarity" by stepping on the soil of this country. | The ardour with which Israel rehabilitated and revitalized a [[Wikipedia:Hebrew language|language several millenia old]] also deserves all our admiration. As [[Wikipedia:Shimon Peres|Shimon Peres]] says with humour, Israel is today the only place in the world where children play in the language of the [[Wikipedia:Nevi'im|prophets]], the only country where the children teach their mother tongue to their parents. Land of the prophets, Israel has known how to become a land of promises and richness for all those who came to seek refuge. Blacks and White, patients and people in good health, of Russia, of India or Ethiopia, Vietnamese "[[Wikipedia:Boat people|boat people]]" or [[Wikipedia:Muslim|Muslim]]s of [[Wikipedia:Bosnia (region)|Bosnia]]: all could discover the meaning of the word "solidarity" by stepping on the soil of this country. | ||