As Rwanda celebrates National Heroes Day, it is a time not only to honor the brave individuals who sacrificed for the nation but also to reflect on the enduring values that unite us. As the Ambassador of Israel to Rwanda, I am deeply moved by the profound significance of this day and the lessons it holds for the world.
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Allow me to pick one portion out of the very many heroic stories, as we celebrate heroes’ day.
In 1997, infiltrators, commonly known as Abacengezi, forced their way into ES Nyange school, in Ngororero District, killed a watchman and then tried to isolate and slaughter Tutsi students. But the students in the school defied the killers’ orders to separate along ethnic lines. The students stood their ground, despite the risk, and told the attackers that none of them deserved to die. The angry militia opened fire, indiscriminately. Six students died on the spot and about 40 others sustained injuries.
It sounded extremely unbelievable to me when I learnt that despite being between death and survival, these young people managed to maintain unity, stand for what is right even when the majority couldn’t.
Like Rwanda, Israel has from the past survived the most difficult situations, thanks to the heroic acts from our past and modern heroes.
Heroism and courage have and will always be a common denominator in the relations between our two BRAVE countries.
For years, I have wondered if the new generation would drop its smartphones, tech jobs, and comfortable lives to crawl through the sand and mud to defend our land. If they would endure pain and accept to sacrifice their lives to defend the nation.
The war that was emerged on Israel following the October 7 [2023] Hamas attack has shown that we’ve been blind to the heroes in every coffee shop, in every synagogue, in the cafeterias of every hi-tech hub, and in the spirit of every single person, young and old, in our beloved homeland. The spirit of Israel is more alive now than ever before, and the ‘tik tok’ generation is more motivated, passionate, and heroic than we ever imagined.
Similarly, in the five months I have been here, I am still overwhelmed by how young people in Rwanda are championing development in various fields. From agriculture to technology, health and education. I can only cheer the country’s leadership for being visionary to know that this is the way to go.
The entire world should learn from Israel and Rwanda.
On this Heroes Day, we salute the memory of those who have fallen in defense of Rwanda, but we also honor the living heroes among us — those who continue to fight for a better tomorrow. These heroes are the activists who advocate for human rights, the educators who nurture the minds of the next generation, and the leaders who strive to build bridges of understanding and reconciliation.
Israel stands in solidarity with Rwanda as it celebrates Heroes Day, and we reaffirm our commitment to deepening the bonds of friendship and cooperation between our two nations. Together, let us honor the past, embrace the present, and build a future worthy of the heroes who have gone before us.
The author is the Israeli Ambassador to Rwanda