WEBVTT

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Dear Inger,
excellencies, dear friends,

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but above all, dear children
from all over Gaza and Western Bank.

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I'm honoured and humbled to be here
at this event, Save the Children.

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I would like to thank
the organizers, supporters

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and everyone else
who is in every and each way

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helping the children of Gaza and
Western Bank to try and reach out

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for the normalcy in their lives.
What we are witnessing in Gaza

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is something that goes
beyond even the wildest imagination

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in the wrong way. And I will
not try to re-cite what Simon

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has very nicely put out,
but I will just say,

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when was it
that it became normal

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that the children are
valid military targets? When was it

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that schools became
valid military targets

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and humanitarian workers?
This is something

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which has to be stopped immediately
because it sets

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a very dangerous precedence, not
just for Palestine, unfortunately,

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but for all of the world's
peace and stability.

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This is something
that we need to do

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not just because we want to help
Palestine and Palestinian people,

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but this is something we are
obliged to do because of the future

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of our children as well.
At this stage,

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it's not just Palestinian children
who are to suffer.

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Sooner or later, it's going to be
the case of our children.

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Sometimes, as a politician, I feel
that practically all of our calls

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and urges go in vain
because others,

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for whatever reason, are not
following. As a father, I know

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there is no other way
than to push forward at both levels,

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at the political level, but also
at the humanitarian level as well.

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And here, I would also like
to commend UNRWA

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and all the other UN agencies
for the tremendous work

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they are doing,
for their sacrifices, for the losses

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in human life among their personnel.
And as I said many times,

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you can count on us.
You have my commitment

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that even at the European level,
we will push forward

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for the recognition of your work
and also for the support

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for the future work.

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Taking a small step
is doing also what Slovenia

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is doing on the ground.

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Roughly 15 years ago,
the foundation Let Them Dream

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has been established in Ljubljana,
which is focusing

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on the rehabilitation of children
from Gaza and Western Bank.

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Throughout the years, more
than 200 kids were rehabilitated.

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Some of them
already lost their lives

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in the last aggression on Gaza,
but that doesn't stop

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our efforts for the future.
In October, the next group

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is coming to Slovenia,
together with their parents,

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because we want to show
that no matter what the politicians

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are saying,
we can do more for each individual

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because each life counts. It
doesn't matter whether it's one life

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that we can assist with,
or hundreds or thousands.

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We need to do what we can and
with this, I would like to conclude.

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I will not talk too long. I want
to listen to what the children

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have to say to us today.
And I think

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that the children's vision
is that which shall be our guidance.

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And let me reassure you
that when I have my speech

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on Friday
at the UN General Assembly,

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I will do my best
to include all of your visions

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in what our message together,
joint message,

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to the world leaders will be.
Thank you. -Thank you so much.

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Thank you for that commitment, for
that passion. I now have the honour

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to introduce his Excellency.