President Herzog's speech was presented on December 5 at a conference held in the United Arab Emirates, a space power in its own right
President Yitzhak Herzog at the President's House. archives. Photo: Amos Ben Gershom, to the General Assembly
On 27/12/22, the Silicon Club meeting will be held at the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv entitled: The Earth is too small for them - New Space companies are conquering the high-tech industry. We bring the speech of President Yitzhak Herzog a week ago (December 5, 2022).
"There is no doubt that in the future, the fate of humanity will depend on outer space. But in the immediate present, the ultimate value of space technologies lies in saving the planet we already have.”
President Yitzhak Herzog delivered a keynote speech at the space debate in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. The conference, held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, brought together national and industrial leaders to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the global space economy.
President Yitzhak Herzog's full speech:
"I am very happy to be here and take part in this scheduled discussion, under the auspices of my dear friend, President Mohammed bin Zayed. I have just arrived from Bahrain with my wife, Michal, where we held the first state visit of an Israeli president to the Kingdom of Bahrain, and I am very grateful to His Majesty the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa."
"We are standing here on the threshold of a new and revolutionary era of space exploration. The skies are now open to a dizzying array of public and private actors, launching satellites, sensors and spacecraft into the great unknown. This era creates both paradigm-shifting opportunities and challenges unlike any humanity has ever known. The breathtaking images from the James Webb Telescope, for example, don't just take us to the earliest edges of our cosmos. They also raise the possibility of new scientific questions we didn't even know we could ask."
“But as humanity looks up at the stars, I want to bring this discussion back to Earth; Because I believe that the greatest promise of space exploration lies not only in discoveries on distant planets, but also in rediscovering our potential for cooperation, here on the blue planet we call home."
"It is often said that on international space missions, on the first day, astronauts indicate their countries; On the second day they point to their continents, and on the third day they are aware of only one earth. Hundreds of kilometers above the land, borders disappear and are replaced by a strong awareness that we all share one planet, which we all have a common duty to preserve. And just as borders disappear when looking at the Earth from above, we must work together across these divides to fight the climate crisis - a threat to us all."
"There is no doubt that in the future, the fate of humanity will depend on outer space. But in the immediate present, the ultimate value of space technologies lies in saving the planet we already have.”
"I am proud of Israel's close cooperation with NASA, the European Space Agency and our colleagues in France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Brazil and many other countries. But I am especially proud of our developing space partnership with the United Arab Emirates. Our two countries are courageously leading our region towards new frontiers in space and leaving our mark on history."
"For an inspiring example, look no further than the Venus satellite, a joint Israeli-French project, which is now providing data for joint Israeli-Emirati research. A Venus satellite orbits the Earth and closely monitors vegetation in forests, croplands and nature reserves, beaming back multispectral images. In their first joint venture, the Israeli and Emirati space agencies are now funding a joint analysis of this data by Israeli and Emirati scientists, which will help us better understand our global environment and collaborate on new solutions to protect our planet's green lungs."
"Therefore, it is critical that we deepen and expand such multinational partnerships, for the benefit of our planet and our region, and here comes India with its vast technological capabilities, with the wisdom of its people, and its most impressive space program. As we look ahead to the COP28 international climate conference in the United Arab Emirates, we must work together to harness the power of advanced space technologies to address the urgent climate crisis in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Our collaboration can make our beautiful region a global hub for climate solutions. I believe that the United Arab Emirates and Israel and India can lead the way for the entire region, together with our friends and partners."
“We are all deeply impressed by the achievements of the UAE space program, including the Mars mission. This is a perfect match with Israel, a world leader in technologies for tiny satellites, high resolution and remote sensing capabilities and cyber security in space."
"Dear friends, there is another area, apart from advanced technologies, where investment remains critical: space education for the younger generation is the future. Our greatest natural resource is the curiosity of our children, and I have seen their eyes sparkle like stars when they learn about space. In Israel we introduced the TBL program, which already works with high school students from all over the country, Jews and Arabs alike. They build, test and launch nanosatellites into space, then use them to collect data and conduct experiments. Israel invites all the countries here to work with us to expand this program regionally and internationally. Together, we will harness the collective creativity, genius and wonder of our youth. And I want to invite you all to take part in this amazing venture."
"Finally, I want to thank our host again, President Mohammed bin Zayed, and of course the Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed. You are truly visionary world leaders, and thank you for convening this space discussion. He made an excellent contribution to the global dialogue on space and helped us forge a common path to a brighter future."
"Let us move forward, not with the competition of a cold war, but with the cooperation of our warm peace. Let us harness the power of space for the promise of Earth. Let us look to the sky, with our intentions firmly set on our planet. Together, we can take space exploration to new heights and save our planet from new depths. Today we can say - the sky is only the lower limit!"
"In the words of the great poet Abu al-Zayib al-Mutanabi, "If you dare to pursue fame, do not settle for less than the stars." Aida E'mart Pi Sharaf Marom Fale Tekna Bima Don Alnojumi. Thank you very much".
More of the topic in Hayadan:
