President meets the Navy
During his visit to Sydney, Israel’s President Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin visited the Garden Island Naval Base in Sydney, from where many rescue operations were launched during the recent bushfires.
Photo: Kobi Gideon/GPO
The president was accompanied on his visit by Rear Admiral Jonathan Mead AM RAN, Commander Australian Fleet and Commanding Officer Scott Houlihan CSM RA, Commanding Officer, HMAS Choules
At the beginning of the visit, the fleet commander briefed the president on the navy’s operations in recent months in rescuing civilians and wild animals from the areas affected by the fires, and presented the ship and its crew to him.
The president remarked on the capabilities he had been shown and the devotion to mission shown by the crew, who told him about the excitement of saving lives and the efforts on behalf of Australian wildlife caught in the flames. “The whole world was looking at you with immense appreciation, dealing with forces of nature and caring for your fellow citizens and, not less important, for the helpless animals,” the president said. “How you acted says a lot about the Australian spirit and is an inspiration for us all.”
