Rivlin to youth of South: This is our land

Knesset speaker tells children of Ashkelon, Beersheba that the war will end because "no-one will move us."

By LAHAV HARKOV
Rivlin and children of South 390 (photo credit: Courtesy Knesset)
Rivlin and children of South 390
(photo credit: Courtesy Knesset)
Over 400 children from the South visited the Knesset on Tuesday, participating in special activities out of the line of fire.
The children and parents from Ashkelon, Beersheba, Kiryat Gat and Moshav Even Shmuel were greeted by Knesset tour guides who handed out snacks. They met Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin, saw a magician perform in the Chagall Hall and had lunch in the Knesset cafeteria.
“The Chagall Hall, where you are sitting, is meant for very fancy ceremonies with presidents from around the world, but none were as important to the Knesset as this meeting with you today,” Rivlin told the youngsters.
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Click for full JPost coverage
The Knesset speaker said he is sure the battle will come to an end, because “this is our land and no one will move us from here.”
Albert Cohen, a social worker from Beersheba who accompanied the children, said their bus had to stop twice on the way to the Knesset because of Color Red rocket warning sirens.
“This is the first time in a week these children went out,” Cohen said. “For them, this visit is a break from the sirens. The minute we left Beersheba, I saw the children smile.”
A siren went off during the visit, and the children were taken to a safe area behind the plenum chamber.
About 1,200 residents of the South are expected to visit the Knesset in the next three days. Funding for the activities and the buses came from the Knesset’s budget.