US Ambassador Mike Huckabee addressed students during his visit to the Shahar Eshkol School in the Gaza border area. He told the children: "Bad people tried to stop you from being on this meaningful day — no matter how many times they try to stop you, you stand and continue." Huckabee added that "the most important thing in our lives is not how many times they try to knock us down, but how many times we manage to raise our heads. I wish you a wonderful school year. I want you to know that your friends in the United States love you, pray for you and believe that your future is here in this land."