“Every year, dear families, you come here to the Island of Peace, and we are with you,” said the president at the beginning of his remarks. “Every year on Tu Bishvat, the new year of the trees and the holiday of nature, we come here to plant life where life was taken. On the island stained by blood, a small forest is growing. A forest of love, of longing, a forest of beauty. Thank you to Orna Shimoni for creating the Hill of Plucked Flowers, and for looking after it ever since with love and devotion.”

The president continued, saying “there is no consolation for children killed cruelly by a despicable murderer. A murderer who went free and who is, heavens above, proud of what he did. There is no consolation and no-one can console, and we can only offer you our arms in embrace every year, our tears that fall with yours, our hearts filled with wonder at the choice you made to remember them in this way, to allow us to remember them in this way.”

“The horrific murder on the Island of Peace was terrible, but it did not end peace. We are marking 25 years since the signing of the Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty this year. Neither did it end hope. Whoever was old enough then cannot forget the visits of the late King Hussein to the homes of the bereaved families and his visits to hospital to see those injured. Family after family, condolence call after condolence call, expressing his deep sorrow on behalf of the Hashemite Kingdom, asking for forgiveness for the Jordanian people on bended knees,” continued the president.

President Rivlin added, “I appreciate the fact that each year, representatives of the Hashemite Kingdom come here to join with us in the pain of the death of the seven girls. I only hope that next year, standing next to the Israeli schoolchildren will be Jordanian schoolchildren, side by side. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a faithful friend. It is a strong state that understands the power of tolerance and patience, and the power of moderation that comes from great might. Together, we will continue to fight against terrorism, against those who wish to destabilize our region, as well as work together on projects that are a symbol of the strength of relations between our two peoples. The Island of Peace must stay an island of peace, a symbol of friendship and of the hope shared by both peoples.”

Leader of the Opposition, Shelly Yahimovich MK: “The Island of Peace shows that we must never give up on the hope for peace. Our greatest enemy, Jordan, whose people fought bloody battles against us, became – a few  years ago – an ally. This shows that even the bloodiest conflict can be resolved, as soon as there are brave leaders who want to do so. Now, this place is once more a matter of disagreement, since Jordan wants to carry out the letter of the agreement and return it to full Jordanian sovereignty. This is a complex situation which we hope to avoid.”