“From the first day of fighting, you worked under fire. I salute you.”

A special appreciation ceremony was held today at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem to honor the activities and contributions of state employees to the citizens of the State of Israel during Operation Iron Swords. The ceremony was held in the presence of President Isaac Herzog, Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar-David, Chairman of the Israel Union of Government Employees (IUGE) Attorney Ofir Alkalay, Civil Service Commissioner Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz, and Director General of Sheba Medical Center Prof. Yitzhak Kreiss.

The ceremony was held under the banner “State Workers for the State in Operation Iron Swords” at the initiative of IUGE Chairman Ofir Alkalay. During the ceremony, the dignitaries honored and thanked the hundreds of participating state employees and union heads for their special work in the shadow of the difficult war.

President Isaac Herzog said: “This critical hour, the war that broke out on October 7th put us all to the test, and many of you found yourselves dealing with questions like you had never faced before. But it is precisely at these times that the workers who see the magnitude of the hour stand out, who choose to summon strength out of thin air, manage to rise above the difficulty, to enlist and mobilize their colleagues – in order to provide professional, sensitive and reliable service for the citizens of the state. Today, we want to express our gratitude and appreciation to those who met this incredibly important and great challenge: to those who, even in the darkest hours, knew how to be an optimistic beacon of light – an address and a helping hand to all those who needed them. I believe in strengthening the quality of public service. I see [workers from] many of the authorities here, and I thank you all for always improving the service and ensuring the future of the State of Israel. Thank you all – go forth and succeed!”

Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar-David said: “This ceremony symbolizes the strength of state employees and the public service. You are the ones who worked under fire from the first day of fighting, in all places and services, to continue to run the state and strengthen the economy for all of us. The Histadrut will continue to stand for you as a fortress. Together with you, we will continue to build the state and lead it forward. I salute you.”

He added, “Mr. President, together we led the country through the most difficult and complicated period, which began a year and a half ago with the legal revolution. You and I, together, tried to stop, block, and bridge. Today, a year and a half later, we are fighting for our home. This is the time for the state’s leaders to make difficult decisions.”

Chairman of the Histadrut’s IUGE Attorney Ofir Alkalay thanked the participants: “You worked from the first moment of the fighting and provided excellent service in welfare, education, security, health, economy and in every field. All this for the wounded, the evacuees, the kidnapped, and all the citizens of the State of Israel. This is a very exciting moment, and I want to thank the President of the State, the Chairman of the Histadrut, the heads of the unions, and all the directors, employees, and workers in the civil service.”