PM Netanyahu and Culture and Sports Minister Regev Meet with Tel Aviv Grand Prix Judo Tournament Medal Winners 

Prime Minister Netanyahu and Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev, at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, met with the medal winners at the recent Tel Aviv Grand Prix judo competition.
 
Also attending the meeting were Israel Judo Association Chairman Moshe Ponte, coaches Oren Smadja and Shani Hershko and medal winners Ori Sasson, Saguy Muki, Shira Rishoni, Timna Nelson-Levy, Gili Cohen, Inbal Shemesh and Tohar Botbol.
 
Prime Minister Netanyahu:
 
"You are fantastic. I like to meet with foreign leaders, as I have done today. Foreign ministers and prime ministers come here and I present Israel to them. I tell them: 'Israel is a global power'. It is 0.1% of the world's population, but our military is ranked eighth in the world, a small country of eight million people. We are ranked as a cyber power, a high-tech power, an agriculture power, a water power – and I always tell them that we are a judo power.
 
This is not a given. You have achieved a very great thing here. This is a great achievement for all of you, but it is a great achievement for the country.
 
Miri, this is also your achievement. You work to promote Israeli sports in the country and around the world. The fact that our athletes go to Arab countries, stand there on the platform, one sees there Israel in all its glory and with all of its achievements. This helps me in our journey to the Arab world and the world in general. There is much progress there and you all are genuinely contributing to it. Also, I must tell you Miri that you do many other things. Miri does not like to speak out, but she stands up for her views and she gives voice to it. And it is good that she does, also in bringing culture to the periphery, but also in bringing Israeli sports, Israeli excellence, Israeli pride and Israeli effort to the world. You all represent this marvelously. I want to thank you Miri for this work. Thank you and thank all of you."
 
Minister Regev:
 
"Our team of athletes is amazing. Judo is a Zionist endeavor; at every competition the first thing is the flag. To be with them is to fall in love each time anew, both with our wonderful athletes and with our wonderful country. This is the opportunity to thank them.
 
I want to thank you, Prime Minister. It is not a given that you always find the time to host them, and not for the first time, and to thank them for their marvelous effort on behalf of the State of Israel, because they are our marvelous ambassadors."