President Rivlin on the constitutional developments in recent days:
“The miracle of the existence of the State of Israel was and still is the result of hard work to which we are all committed, and it is based, in part, on the foundations of laws, good governance and justice. For some time now, we have been living with the illusion of constitutional functionality between one election campaign and the next, but it appears that yesterday another fence collapsed. We must return to the principle according to which the government serves the people, not that the people serves the government.”
President of Israel Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin was hosted this evening, Wednesday 28 April / 17 Iyyar, at an inter-religious meeting at the invitation of the head Abu Ghosh Regional Council Salim Jaber.
The ambassadors of France, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates; spiritual leader of the Druze community Sheikh Mowafak Tarif; Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau; Father Olivier, representing the Christian community; and heads of the Mevasseret, Har Adar, Kiryat Yearim and Mateh Yehuda local councils all participated in the event.
The began his remarks by wishing Ramadan Kareem, noting how good it was to be together. “Our Jewish sources speak of Jerusalem, ‘that makes all of us friends’, brings us all together, just as we are sitting here as friends. People of Abu Ghosh, you are known for your hospitality and welcome. The partnership and friendship between us goes back far, even before the establishment of the Jewish and democratic State of Israel, the home to us all. You have always been an example of moderation, of seeking peace, of human friendship and love of the calm and peaceful life that is so beautiful here, with this view.”
The president added, “With your permission, I would like to address another burning issue for Israeli society in recent days. The miracle of the existence of the State of Israel was and still is the result of hard work to which we are all committed, and it is based, in part, on the foundations of laws, good governance and justice. For some time now, we have been living with the illusion of constitutional functionality between one election campaign and the next, but it appears that yesterday another fence collapsed. We must return to the principle according to which the government serves the people, not that the people serves the government.