Reuven Rivlin quotes

Reuven Rivlin is an Israeli lawyer and politician, who served as the President of Israel. Known for his advocacy of democracy, pluralism, and unity among different segments of Israeli society. He gained respect for his efforts to bridge political and social divides. Here are 17 of his quotes:

Terrorism is trying to paralyze and silence democracies fighting against it, exactly as was manifest in the world's reaction to Israel's counter-terrorist offensive Cast Lead in light of the Goldstone Report.

Reuven Rivlin

I have a vision that suddenly all the Jewish people [from around the world] will come to live here... And if there were 10 million Jews here, we wouldn't have to give up on anything.

Reuven Rivlin

There are red lines that I as a democrat, say you cannot cross. I see it as defiance against Israel and Jerusalem as its capital as well as another protest against the historical narrative, a matter already pending before the High Court. (Responding to a MK Tibi-proposed bill recognising Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state)

Reuven Rivlin

Today, almost 20 years after Oslo, we can see clearly that the idea of separating the [Israeli and Palestinian] nations failed.

Reuven Rivlin

Specifically, in these days when brutal and murderous terrorism seeks to drive us apart, we must reiterate to ourselves – here, in the Knesset, in schools, in academia and in the halls of Torah study – that to be Jewish is democratic and democracy is Jewish. Only in this way can we know that brutal terrorism will not break us physically, or our spirit.

Reuven Rivlin

We will not apologize – not for conquering Katamon or Jaffa or Tzfat, nor for liberating Hebron, and not for building Jerusalem our capital.

Reuven Rivlin

We miss [Rehavam Ze'evi's] clear, ideological voice, his leadership, his larger than life presence.

Reuven Rivlin

Zionism from its outset was a settlement movement. If we stop going on this path, how can we justify the faith that all of Zion belongs to us?

Reuven Rivlin

[Israeli citizens who marry Palestinians need to move to] the other side.

Reuven Rivlin

The communities in Judea and Samaria [referring to West Bank settlements] do not threaten our existence, they guarantee our existence.

Reuven Rivlin

I whole-heartedly believe that the land of Israel is ours in its entirety.

Reuven Rivlin

If the Nakba is a tragedy, then the establishment of the State of Israel is a tragedy. The Palestinians experienced a catastrophe that was brought on by their leaders, but the establishment of the State of Israel is not the reason for it.

Reuven Rivlin

Dividing Jerusalem will bring disaster for the city. It cannot be that every time something is built in Jerusalem, the international community censures it. This constant criticism is a mark of disgrace for the international community.

Reuven Rivlin

For some reason the settlement enterprise is being accused of being an obstacle to peace. Personally, I explain at each possible forum that the obstacle to peace is the objection by the Arabs to it and the fact that they do not want us here.

Reuven Rivlin

There are red lines that I as a democrat, say you cannot cross. I see it as defiance against Israel and Jerusalem as its capital as well as another protest against the historical narrative, a matter already pending before the High Court.

Reuven Rivlin