“I ask all citizens of Israel and particularly those in this area to take good care of themselves and to follow the orders of the IDF.”

 “I have said in the past and I will continue to say, the area around Gaza is the whole of Israel. When the sirens are screaming here, we hear them in our hearts in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and all over the country.”

President Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin today, Tuesday 13 November / 5 Kislev, visited Netivot following the recent escalation of the security situation in the south.

 The president began his visit at the emergency operations center in the city where he received briefings from those responsible for maintaining normal daily life: IDF Homefront Command, rescue services, security services and social services.

Mayor Yehiel Zohar told the president about how buildings are protected in the city and about the events of the last 24 hours. “There is no substitute for listening to the orders of the IDF Homefront Command”, he emphasized. “There is excellent coordination between all the emergency services in the city and we are improving it all the time.”

The president also heard details about the work of the psychological and mental support service in the city, and the help given to children and the population as a whole after yesterday’s missile launches.

The president offered his support to the people of Netivot and the area and said, “we are all under attack, under fire whose aim is to disrupt our daily life. Your strength give us all strength. I have said in the past and I will continue to say, the area around Gaza is the whole of Israel. When the sirens are screaming here, we hear them in our hearts in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and all over the country.”

 President Rivlin continued, “We are strong and derive strength from each other. Our strength comes from standing together, responsible for each other and identifying with each other. We are all together in this conflict, and we need to trust the commanders of the IDF who are leading us with courage, confidence, clarity and responsibility.”

 “We must give the political and military leadership the breathing room and space to lead us in this conflict. Our responsibility is for the safety of our citizens and the routine of daily life, and then the safety of our soldiers. That responsibility is uppermost in our minds now and in the future,” he added.

 The president then visited one of the shelters in the town and met residents of Netivot, including old people and babies, where he repeated his appeals to follow the IDF’s orders: “Forget about photos. There are plenty of people whose job that is. I ask you to get into a protected space and keep safe.”