President Reuven Rivlin at Boca Raton Synagogue

I think by way of introduction I'm going to share and review president rivlin's personal biography but I think it was just demonstrated because even though we're here tonight to have a conversation with the president he's more interested in highlighting urel and Assaf and the incredible organization which says a lot about him where his heart is his commitment to our people and to the state of Israel and I think really demonstrated who he is even before my words but if it's okay president I'm going to take a moment to remind everyone a little bit about your background including parts that may not be entirely familiar with and aware of president rivlin was elected to the 12th knesset 1988 as a member of leud he later served in the knesset from 96 until his election as president in 2014 did that in those days in in 2001 he was appointed the minister of communication by prime minister arel shiron at the time and served in that position for two years president rivlin was elected speaker of the knesset in the 16th knesset from 2003 to 2006 and in the 18th knesset from 2009 to 2013 he was elected to that position once again on June 10th 2014 president rivlin was elected as the president of the state of Israel and as president rivin declared his commitment to safeguarding the state of Israel as a Jewish and Democratic Democratic and Jewish at the same time president rivlin was born in yusim the undivided undisputable capital of the Jewish people he was born before there was a state of Israel I hope it's okay I'm giving away the president's age a little bit I'm a young boy of 84 president rivin was born during the Mandate era to the rivlin family which had lived in yusim since 1809 president descends from talmidim students of the vagon who had made made Aliyah and uh the old yeshu in in Israel before President rivlin was President R which mean I'm a litvak but a warm litvak not a CAC president rivlin may be the first president of the state of Israel in his family but he was not the first candidate his father was a candidate for president of Israel in 1957 before he withdrew in favor of the incumbent at the time president served in the intelligence Corps of the Israeli Defense Forces during The Six Day War fought with the yushan Brigade accompanied the paratroopers as an intelligence officer and since 1999 president rivlin has employed Rifka rabitz a Ked woman a mother of many children as his chief of staff she was a guest of ours on our podcast behind the beima and spoke incredibly of you president rivlin your accommodations and your support of her and her life and her career as she served you Faithfully in that position really an extraordinary woman in her own right what doesn't appear on any of the websites that tell the president's personal history is that he bestowed the first Jerusalem Unity prize several years ago the prize of akas of akut the families of the three boys who were kidnapped and tragically who were murdered back when we were so moved and thought three was an impossible number of hostages of those who are kidnapped and it's not lost on any of us tonight we're on the Eve tomorrow is the 100th day since the outset of this war the H 100th day our soldiers are fighting on the front line The 100 day too many hostages are still being held including children and a baby who turned one triple digits the 100th day it's not Beyond us as we sit here and have the privilege of hosting the president of Israel exactly where Israel is in this moment so those three families of those three boys hosted a Unity prize to recognize communities that practiced Unity of the Jewish people it's what we felt as we went through that ordeal as we'll talk about momentarily it's what we've seen a Resurgence of today and they wanted to recognize those who practiced unity and Rabbi bro on behalf of our community was in the president's residence in yusim as president rivlin bestowed upon our boka Ron Community the very first Unity prize of yush we're very very proud of that thank you so president rivlin it's truly an honor to sit with you tonight and I want to begin by asking you when you were a young boy in before pre-state Israel could you ever have dreamt or imagine that one day you would be the president of the state of Israel I was born to the first world war to the second world war and U since I was two years old I standed on my mind because in Jerusalem you had to really take care of your own because my father he was professor at the Hebrew University but was he he was was a I'm from the families of but unfortunately I'm not a not yet no I know something but I I don't I'm not a I'm a jerusalemite son of jerusalemite son of the son as you said goes back to 1809 why 1809 1809 was not important the calendar according to the Jewish calendar wasat three letters t means one word and is sound or blow the great on the great chaua to Proclaim our freedom and my really one of my grand grand grandfathers the vagon he he was a gon I'm not I'm not I was a politician no no I graduate at the University I have the degrees of LLB and llm and everything like that but I'm not a gaon but he have said to his people and to his pupil to the members of the family why should we pray to God every day three times please God with your mercy Let Us return back to Jerusalem because Jerusalem was the homeland and Jerusalem was till d mesic and a left we we were there and the the go in 1776 said on the year T which will be 1809 the Messiah will get to Jerusalem and how come the Rin family will not welcome him so at sukot T sukot 1809 we are in Jerusalem and I was born when I was born as a Palestinian because Palestine was existing Palestine I was existing at the time not the state of Israel but when I was born in 39 9939 I had only my one dream and you have asked me if my dream was to become the president of Israel and I can assure you that H when I was 10 years old the CET was opened in Jerusalem on Tu bishvat and people came to me because I was they thought that I was quite clever and they asked me although you are 10 years old you were already at the uh independent War Commander of a tank no not with a cannon a water tank that I took don't laugh we we really supplied water to all the people of Jerusalem 10 years old and when people said to me give me more give me more said to him hold your horses first we have to go to give everyone and I was 10 years old so at the time that the Kent was open people ask me Rie the same question you have asked me today only 84 years after that but you have asked me Hui what is your dream and I have said to them what do you mean what is my dream well rui theet was opened and you are living just now in ravia next to sh said of course and what is your dream would would you you will become a member of CET I said it is possible but you need a dream to become a member of nesset maybe you would like to become a minister and I said Minister I see all the people in ravia and I see a lot of ministers I see benuron I see do Yosef I see shapira I see B I see um um Ben I see every one of them and I must say that it's very good to be a minister I feel it you have a car you have a chauffer with a special hat you feel really you feel a lot of com you had a lot of comfort being a a minister but I must tell you that in my opinion I don't think that you have to have a dream in order to become a minister even so they asked me would you like to become Prime Minister or something like that I said no no they asked me if I would like to become the president of the clet the speaker of the clet at the time it wasak who was the first Speaker of the CL said I've said oh I know shitaki comes to our home from time to time I must tell you he's very respectable man but forgive me but you don't have to be really lucky in order to become you don't need the dream to become the speaker actually no one asked me if I want to become a president so they asked me hovie what is your dream and when I was born in 1939 there were in Israel 19,000 Jews in 48 at the time that I was asked in in 48 if I have a dream we had in Israel at about 300,000 Jews prob most of them came to Jerusalem I must say where majority of Jews in Jerusalem at the at the year 1864 but we were only 300,000 and after 45 we we got an audition we absorbed many people who came from the Sha no one of us in Jerusalem sought and fought or really expressed himself as if the Sha is comp the uh the state of Israel is compensation to the Shah no we said we returned home in 1809 because we have returned to our homeland it's not a compensation it is our it is our land it was promised to us and we know we don't have any other place to go to so they asked me so what is your dream and and I said to them as a 10 years old boy in the year 18 1940 49 at the opening of the ceset my dream is that in the year 2000 we will have in Israel 2 million Jews at 2000 we had a horrible number of Jews in Israel 6 million but it was 6 million and not 2 million and now we are have we have in Israel at about 10 million citizens out of them almost 8 millions are Jews or consider themselves a Jews so I had a dream and it would not it did not fulfill because much bigger dream had God at the time saying to me you don't understand what I'm going to do to to your people but please tell your people to help me to help them all the time and really God bless we are all help helping and in those days we need a lot a lot of help and encouragement from every one of us to the other because you see that when Israel is in trouble immediately anti-Semitism is rising and immediately anti-Semitism we watch in Great Waves and uh we have a lot of problems I must tell you as the President of Israel I was asked by the president of Austria in the year uh 2021 almost at the end of my um my function as the President of Israel please I would like you to Welcome to the uh president chamber the foreign Affair minister of Austria and I said to him you know it's not according to the protocol because I should welcome you you are the president maybe the Prime Minister but how can I really receive the uh forign firm Minister he said it's very very important from us from political point of view helped me to really to make Austria a great nation and and Friends of Israel and I said to him if this is your wish it is almost a command for the Jewish people in Israel to help you if it's possible but please send me me her curriculum V and when I saw her curriculum VA I watched and I saw that she is heading the fascist the the Neo fascist party in Austria and I found the president I said to him Mr the president the lady that you would like me to welcome in Israel is the leader of a neop fascist party and he said yes but she loves Israel she admires Israel I said to him listen to me Mr President I like you very much and I respect you very much and I salute you and you are a real G friend to to to our country and to our state but I have I you have to listen to me very carefully there is no one who can love Israel or admire Israel and hate Jews and there is no one that admires the Jews who hate Israel we are one and we will always remain one and because of that we have a lot of Dreams many dreams many dreams but H we wish that all our dreams will will be U will become really re reality and I must say that we are doing good in Israel unfortunately the 7th of October we're going to get to that President R we'll get to the 7th in October but while we're still in the presidency could you share with us what you're most proud of he wants to ask the question he's right this is a typical conversation in my house by the way it's hard to get a word in edgewise um president rivlin share with us in your in your time as president the 10th President not many presidents of Israel given the scope and the perspective that you have having been born in Pre the state mandate what are you most proud of what accomplishment what experience what meeting is there is there something you can share with us that you that stands out that you're most proud of as president first of all you have to know in America once a president is always a president in Israel no there are people who are trying to convince us that in Israel once a prime minister is always a prime minister there are there are people some of them but I can assure you and that what I was taught by my father and my mother that uh when you're being elected to a a public service you have to remember that you it would end after seven years and seven years is enough because in seven years you have to do a lot and you have you are the president you are symbolizing the uni the unity of the people because you know when we don't have here in at SCH when we don't have somebody to argue with we argue with ourselves sometimes we have three opinions not only two and the in Israel there is left and wrong oh how can I say so there there is left and right and right and right and wrong and and and and and left and wrong and we have everything in his said and we argue all the time but when we are in the Army we are all together and all the people of Israel knows that Israel is a Jewish state by all means this is the only Jewish state that we have the Jewish people but nevertheless we the majority in Israel from left and right we know very well that Israel cannot exist without being Jewish as a Jewish State without about being a democracy and we are a democracy and democracy means we are liberals which mean the majority cannot affect the civil rights of every person in Israel whatever his ideas are as long as he's faithful to the state of Israel as his own State and believe you me out of 10 million citizens of Israel most of them more than 90% knows very well that they would prefer to be remained Israeli citizens more than to become any citizen of any other state in the world you can have two citizenships we have we have no objection about it and this is something that you worked on as president this is something that you were devoted to I really believe that it is possible because Once Upon a Time and benion was and I really supported his thoughts against the ideas of jabotinski and menim beging my tutors and not my rabbis because I had the my rabbis he was one of my grandfathers so I couldn't listen to them about rabbis but I I thought that when benan said at the time that in order to be a Zionist you have to make Ayah and jabotinski says no you can be a Zionist also if you are in the diaspora I thought all the time that benuron was right during the years I understood the connection I understood the connection of the Jewish people we are one people and I didn't understand until I really came into a really conclusions from the facts that I really faced during the years that arit are not words arit is mutual guarantee andit is Mau is Mau I say it's something that goes to the heart of Judaism and now we see so very well in the last 10 years in the last decade most of the years I was the president of Israel that the connection between between all the Jewish people from all around the world is something that we cannot live without we are all together we are on family and we tried really to do whatever we could in order to show the whole people of Israel that this is a must to really consider the whole Jewish people all around the world as one people who are very very much connected to the land of Israel to our homeland and we we always felt that President Rin certainly and and the unity prize our connection our community in particular has always been incredibly devoted to Israel promoting celebrating Aliyah nefes Benes Rabbi Josh F Tony gelbart it began here in our community and our shul but it's really it's really grown enormously since October 7th and even the parts of the Jewish Community who were alienated from Israel or disconnected from Israel and sometimes even hostile to Israel since October 7th there is this ground swell of incredible connection commitment of just living breathing what's happening in Israel so I want to ask you having having lived through every Israeli War from the war of independence through October 7th and this war with Kamas with that perspective and that scope what does October 7th mean to you both in your public role as the immediate past president and personally what you've seen your family what you've lived through what happened on octo oober 7th and as tomorrow is day 100 what is still happening every day since what does it mean for you well I learned about my family that when we came to Jerusalem at the year 1809 at schat the Arabs welcomed the Jews who came 250 families to Jerusalem because I say welcome every Jerusalem is neglected no one paid intention to Jerusalem R Ram was the uh capital of the Islamic Islamic Nation when Arun Rashid after 650 came to Israel and conquered the whole region but the people of Jerusalem welcomed the Jews so much so we had no trouble when we the Zionism became a political Movement we started to have problems we didn't have problems with Islam we didn't have problems with Islam we had problems with the Arab states I remember my father telling Ma beging at the time in 48 and telling my father was a professor in the new University he was a but he was a professor in the new in the University but he was a professor to the Arabic language and he have translated the Quran from Arabic the first translation from Arabic to Hebrew and it was translated from Hebrew to German and to English only after the translation of my father he lived along with our friends or with our neighbors the people of Jerusalem we were all jerus mus Lites and they understood that we have returned home I remember home which mean we have returned to our homeland I remember and my mother have told me afterwards to remind me that in 42 we were visiting a mayor Fred in Bethlehem because we were the both families were very friendly and we had n saber from the Muslim side all the uh really what you call the important families in Jerusalem were meeting all together on Shabbat they came to us to the Jews and on Sunday we went to the uh Christians and on Friday we went to visit the every month there were we had and really a meeting between the families and on the balcony of Fred on the in 1942 El was in battle and on one side was Montgomery on the other side was roml and the uh our our neighbors and friends from the um Christian side and the Arabic side have said you know there is a war in North Africa and probably immediately after the war the German will win and they will come to Palestine but you have not nothing to worry about because we the Fred and the NBA and the AR we will keep and we will protect all the Jewish people of Jerusalem and my father smiled and said to him we have no war between us and I can assure you that after Montgomery and roml will end the war Montgomery will win and then we will build and we will announce the independency of the SAT of Israel and in the state of Israel we will not have to have the the duty to protect you because everyone at the Jewish state that we will build would be a free citizen but the the state would be a Jewish State a democratic one and a laboral one and we can do it because when we say he knew that we have to be Beacon of light a beacon of light to the whole region and uh we are trying we're still trying so we had no war with Islam we had war with seven countries with Egypt with Jordan with Syria with Lebanon and with Iraq and another and Syria and Lebanon and Jordan Egypt Egypt and Yan I suppose they no no Morocco Morocco joined the and they send few tanks but they they consider themselves as if they are taking part in the attack on Israel okay we manage with the sixth we could manage with the seventh but we had no war with Islam and now the Isis became they are against and the Islamic brotherhood is against Egypt Islamic brotherhood is against everything that goes as nationality they want pan Islamic empire and then the uh president of Turkey he really started to think like them something is wrong probably with some of the Mind but never ever it was a war between Islam and Judaism it is a war between the people and the now Egypt understands and we have strategical connection with them we have a connection and strategical interest a mutual interest with Jordan ER we have a understanding with the Christian and the DRS in Lebanon nevertheless we have a lot of problems with the sun who are the Islamic brotherhood and the Shia in Iran and both of them were in a war for seven years butchering one each other and they immediately afterwards they found that they have to be together in order to bring to an end the idea of Israel and what have happened in the 7th of October beside our our really fail to to to to to Really to watch the fact that were at really in front of us and I'll talk about it without any hesitation I must say that on the 7th of October we found ourself against people who are against every state they are against Jordan they are against Egypt every one of them says we have all together to become Muslims and the Isis are not Al-Qaeda anymore Isis really believe that they have to bring down all the Arab Nations and to build up an Empire of Islamic um force or Islamic people that are going together without the need to have a separate States and of course the one to unite them is the idea of bringing to an end Israel the terrorists who are consider themselves the Hamas people and the Islamic Jihad and the Islamic brotherhood they are not Freedom Fighters they don't want a free Palestine and they would don't want to free palestin they want an an an ottoman or or Islamic empire and I am and they have and and we have to understand that because those people who came to the houses of those people that we have left and we didn't care take care of protecting them and some of them are being in the hands of the people of the Hamas in Gaza 144 people of them as hostages the um Hamas people they don't care about all the population in in Gaza they really believe that the population could be killed and they don't care about it because they know that the only way to protect themselves from Israel because Israel is much stronger and and she can take care of every one of them is by using those innocent people in order to go to hug to hug and to say and to to blame Israel about really um doing something that really affect all all innocent people and there and they are bringing almost God forbid to use the word holocaust to the people of Gaza no they don't care about the people of Gaza they don't care about Palestinian State they want to get rid of Israel they want to butcher Jews and you did not see the pictures some of you probably saw it but everyone who saw what they have taken what they have done to families in in Fara and in in ber and all and and all around one of them was holding a phone phoning his his baba on Mama and say to them baba mama I have just entered a house of the Jews and the wor a grandfather a grandmother a father and a mother and for children and then two of them were girls a grown girls and we have butchered all of them after raping the ladies after raping the young daughters they are not the Sons of Satan they are the Satan himself and we are fighting against them and we knew exactly what their aim the intelligence knew we know we knew that every time and every few month they are bombing us shelling us sending mortars to all the uh region ER surrounding them next to Gaza the region that protects the whole of Israel people who are people who are farmers are doing a lot many of the people from AA worked with them for years so can I ask you can I ask you has October 7th changed your thinking because because it's not previously you've seen that perhaps in in Judea and Samaria or G 2014 we have a lot of ideas among the politicians in Israel and the somebody have decided and it was a mutual thought of everyone that the Hamas people decided to create a special um State for the Hamas only not with the Palestinians and there are some people in Israel would re reject any kind of a state or two or the idea of two states for two people so they have decided that we should not give give Abu maen the opportunity to get back to Gaza Abu Mazen and the Palestinian entity was thrown out from Gaza not because of us the Hamas people have thrown them from the roofs of of the houses and afterward they were butchered and they were kicked out of Gaza and we really thought that after 2014 the Hamas have decided that they are are going now to keep quiet and to have peace with Israel or a long ceasefire in order to build Gaza to become a real separate nation nonsense nonsense and the we were talking about it and the intelligence had the really whenever um people from the intelligence have said but they are training they are doing maneuvers in order to attack Gaza to attack the surrounding of Gaza to attack Israel because we are talking about places who are under sovereignity within the boundaries of the state of Israel and we are all there watching the preparation of the Hamas people to attack us they said nonsense it can't be because they really want to build Gaza now there it will take them now 20 years even to think about attacking us because in 2014 we almost destroyed all of Gaza now we are taking care to to Really to bring to an end the ability of the Hamas people to even intimidate or to think about the possibility of attacking Israel once again but the discussions among politicians and in the Army was that there is no reason to be afraid it was in 50 years ago exactly I was in the Army already a captain I was in the reserve Army I was seven years I was after I was a regular soldier in yke keeper War when we thought that nothing will happen and we have received information from one of the people of Egypt whom we could trust because he knew everything that he was saying and G with everyone said nonsense they cannot attack us they know that we will destroy them nevertheless what have happened in the young keeper war was a disaster and the Kissinger was a little bit trying us and G have said to him directly Mr kininger we know we know your sources you we know where you came from we know that you are for Israel but you are trying to show us that nothing is for sure and that we need to find a way in order to bring to an end the war between the the Israelis and the Egyptians but you have to understand they are not serious and but we have an advantage gold I've said to Kissinger and Kissinger said if you saw the film that was brought the to the public only few month ago I must tell you that the gold said to Kissinger Henry you know we have one great Advantage we have no other place to go to because Israel is our homeland and because of that no one no one can be bring to the end of Israel and Kissinger understood that and America once again really helped us to bring to an end but Sadat making peace with with us when we have asked him to take care of Gaza he said no way and when we asked him to take only 50,000 people and to build a a really a a region of a Riviera between Elish and Gaza and bring a lot of prosperity to the people of Gaza he said no one of the gazan will become a citizen of of um Egypt Mr Mr I'm finishing and I'm I I I I finish my words because this is very important for you to know I was next toim beg at the time because I knew Arabic and I knew Arabic because my father was a professor to Arabic and I learned Arabic at school because I knew that Professor rlin can make my homework and I can play football so I knew Arabic and president Sadat have told me you know Arabic well please tell the Prime Minister he knows only English in Hebrew tell him in Polish of course tell him W which mean even one because we have built for 5,000 Egyptian places to leave next to to aish and he refused even to receive one of them as a as a a citizen of of Egypt which mean that we have problems they don't want them and they want us to get them and nothing's changed the same is true today they don't want them they want us but Mr President we have to find the world the way we have to find the way with Saudia and with the Emirates and even Qatar that are playing the games with us we have to build confidence not to patronize them and not to be afraid of them but what would you say about the fact that even after October 7th polls in the so-called West Bank Jude and Samaria show that more than 70% of the Palestinians there support Hamas so the notion that we should have one state and give them citizenship wouldn't that be a disaster for Israel had we given the people of Gaza citizenship where would we be if the PS will take place in America in the in your wonderful place there would not be not 70% and not even 20% because theas thought that all Jerusalem is going to become as a really harash no volcano a volcano a volcano because all the Hamas will say you see our people from Gaza could manage to show Israel that we can beat them and in Jerusalem I must say all the jerusalemites likes to stay in peace because they have work they and and I am not patronizing them because they have really proper job they have National Security they are citizens of Jerusalem they don't want to become citizens we are quite happy about this this situation it's up to them nevertheless of course we have to find a way in order to cooperate and the the president of the United States is doing everything in order to bring Saudia because of strategical need because if Iran will have a nuclear weapon at the moment they will have nuclear weapon the saudian will have a nuclear weapon and the Egyptian will have a nuclear weapon and every bandits in the region will have nuclear weapon so we have to be very careful and to go and to find a way in order to create a region that can really compete with even Europe to be along with Europe and to be separated from Europe that Europe needs us as much as we need Europe and this is international um program and international thoughts and I'm not involving in that because to your question as a president I thought that the president of Israel should deal with the unity between the thoughts and we are very we were at the time when we had the uh question when the Arabs did not refuse even to think about because when they are talking about two states for two people they mean that the state the Palestinian state would be exactly like Israel and they will not have air benuron airport as Arafat airport because at any kind of a program of peace between us and the Palestinians an arrangement how they can live as Nation they have to be in the boundaries of the state of Israel because we cannot leave our defense we cannot leave our security to other than the Israeli Army God bless God for having such a wonderful Army like this boy and all the other boys and the my children and my grandchildren and all of our grandchildren's and there are many Americans young boys who are serving now in the Army even we started to talk English in in the Army not English American American president revin could you share with us why of all Chiefs of Staff that you could have had to have a religious woman a k Woman Who Wasn't available on Shabbat who wouldn't shake the Pope's hand or bow down bow to the pope who had all these standards why did you keep her why did you elevate her career as Chief of Staff it must have been very inconvenient for you at 1948 when we have established the state of with when we founded the state of Israel there were two minorities in Israel on one side on one hand la de the Israeli Arabs they were at about five or 6% and we had theim and the first we had Thea who denied Israel but most of theim were fighting in the independence War they are fight they were fighting we had they had many casualties in um in the sanhedria and in the kiratu and in katamon and all around MIM and all the neighborhoods that was built by uh people members of my family and I must say that they understood that we are fighting for our life but they said to us and to benon we have to keep studying because we need those 400 out of 50,000 let's say that have to learn to become in order to teach we have habits we don't want our girls to be part of the army because in the Army we are not used to the way that you live in the Army according to our beliefs and to our tradition and we said everything is understood but immediately we found ourself in four systems of Education the regular people I I don't want to say seculars because those who are not keeping 512 MIT 63 no in Hebrew I to count I know only in Hebrew 613 mitzvot they they are keeping 13 mitzvot God forbid but I I must say that everyone is a CH on Saturdays maybe there are people who are going to the football to watch football it's Saturday afternoon but they never smoke on Shabbat maybe they can take a drive on Shabbat but they will not smoke on Shabbat so we have we have already it's some new new Jewish system that everyone lives according to his tradition but we kept our idea that everyone have to live according to his belief and when they had a real separate education system we respect it but during the years they became now since 2019 25% of the population which mean they are having education for their children with without learning English and without learning mathematics and without learning computers I must say that it is a speaker of the knesset with the cooperation of most of the members of the knesset from thein side whether they were lvx or from kasim but inim we have a lot ofid we have a we have tribes of see him in Israel and everyone is better than the other one I I must say that they have suddenly realize that no government can be built without their votes and they started to demand from us to do something that we are we cannot it's against our tradition it's against our tradition we are not interfering with life but we have asked during during the last 10 years that the the that the uh that the young um girls will learn mathematics and we learn English and they're all learning English and they are the best computer experts in Israel and they are doing a lot and they can now work from home because with a computer it doesn't make any kind of different if you are in the other room or or three three blocks from your office and they are doing a lot and they are very happy and we have asked also that because of the necessities of Israel everyone if he will not go to the Army because of traditional reasons and beliefs he should serve his community and that is all did anyone give you push back for having a already Chief of Staff the now the uh the politicians that representing the uh kedin people really knows that they are not a tribe in the state of Israel but the state of Israel belongs to them because without them they cannot have a government it's not only them it's the Arab side the Israeli Arabs only now five members of the the Arab parties have decided to cooperate and it's very I I if it will go right for the time being we have some difficulties but I really believe that we have to live together instead of going to the Army you want a national a national service okay let's do it as a national service if you refuse to call it national service let's stay Public Service whatever but everyone have to give his own you want everything you want the country and the state to help you you have also to contribute to the uh necessities of the state of Israel so I I really believe that it going better because now the young girls of theim are showing the whole world that they can work they are working excellent there are more and more girls from the side are working in the government or in offices like a lawyers offices and count and count yeah count my English is terrible I'm so you have to understand where we have to to understand now that we are 25% Arab citizens 25% we have 11 11 to 14% reg National Religious people and we have only 38 those that don't keep mitv less they are keeping less not less than 12 not less than 12 but but but they are they are they are part of Israel and we have to live together and I was there in order to invite every one of them I had problems with the um with our for brothers and they asked me Rabbi Jacob always asked me so why why do you think that what are you are you secular I said no I'm not keep keeping all 630 Mitzvah but when I don't keep a Mitzvah I don't keep it as the destrction of theing people so I'm a secular because I don't but but but I I'm trying to bring everyone to believe first of all that the wish of God to bring us back home and to bring us to become people who are really Beacon to the beacon to the to the whole world let us do something also because we have to help sometime God we have to help him he all the time I praying to him and say God why you are doing that to us said I'm trying my best to convince you but if you want to win the lottery you have to buy the ticket without the ticket you cannot win the Lottery that's all and that was I because down deep in my heart I praying to God down deep in I I I was till I was 22 years old and because of football and all the other nonsense I I started the shortest prayer but um God forbid we need you to put him back on we need your help during this time want to thank president rivlin for outstanding evening for the opportunity my dear brothers and sisters with your permission we are really sisters and brothers and uh we have the same task and we have the same problems and unfortunately now Israel goes with the ideas of anti-Semitism and anti-Semitism goes with the idea of anti- israelism and we are all together and we are not in in the University of arelia I made a speech telling and warning everyone about the separation in the community in Israel that we have four tribes and the four tribes have to consider the themselves as one nation that have four tribes no problem with that everyone can live according to his beliefs and his tradition no one should interfere in the life of others right when you go to the Army you become a little bit suspected because you learn something that in your families you don't have in when you are but I must say that we can live together we can understand together but suddenly I realized that actually we are not four tribes we are five tribes and you are part of this nation and you are one tribe the whole people of the diaspora a One Tribe all of them are so worried about Israel you can't even imagine how the diaspora helps now everyone who really was affected from what have happened in Gaza and we are to be blamed the leaders of Israel not that I'm consider as the leader of Israel but as the former leaders of Israel we have to consider what have happened we have to be awake all the time not to trust anyone but us first of all trust everyone after you trust yourself trust everyone after you know that you take no chance and without you not that we cannot but together we are much stronger and then we can say I'm Isel K thank you president rivlin it's not a small thing that president rivlin is traveling for a week on behalf of malalim want to conclude this evening by asking Asaf to share closing remarks about the extraordinary organization that enabled us to be able to host president rivlin this evening so please give us just three more minutes Asaf is going to close us out good evening everybody thank you my friend president rling that you join us to this journey I just want to ask you very very shortly 302nd maybe 45 25 years ago when I started maalim I didn't realize the important and the strong impact that maalim will bring to Israel States during October seven I met a lot at hundreds of graduate maalim as real just shared with you they told me Assaf listen without your mentor of maalim I didn't serve as a fighter in this war my plan was to be something to do something very softly and officer office serve because of your mentor of maalim I changed my future and during this war in Gaza hundred of our graduates thousands of our graduate become come to save Israel and we hear and we're very very happy to having US president rivlin in this journey the last week in New York here in bocaraton to bring the message of Israel states to be strong as a United and I can tell you I get a note few days before I came here from the CEO of minister of Education in Israel and he told me ASA listen 2024 will be very tough because every day this War cost to the government of Israel million every day and we can never know how long it will be the planet could be maybe a month 6 months even a year and maybe more and we need to cut and usually Ministry of Education support malalim 50% of our budget and this year will be very very tough and we here to bring the message that to to continue to save this young generation to bring them to be fighter to bring them to to save their life and to save Israel we need you as a Partners as a supporters as you know that you do a lot and you saving Israel by your support and you can support your hundred of boys and girls of maalim and we you have all the details in the flyer and I will be here after please take care continue to take care I know that b Community are saving Israel in the last three months a lot and you are the heroes from here and thank you about it please we here because 2024 will be very very tough and with your help with your support we will continue and will grow up and I want to thank again to R Movic to R Goldberg say open the p baton Community for maalim for president rling as well my friend for me as a Israeli guy you will be and will stay a president always thank you very much thank you for your support if I could call up uel to lead us in Thea for theim followed for amen like to call president rivlin to join us inkv [Music] I in let on [Music] to [Music] v v thank you president rivlin thank you everyone for joining us this evening hello wait wait a minute please don't don't leave I have a message I live in America I was born in theah in Siberia in 1940 I came to Israel in 1949 just before I left unfortunately Israel I had to because of my husband but I do somebody asked me I also adopted Israel I built a home a house for magali somebody asked me why if you love Israel so much don't you live there I said because I can live like a queen in Israel but if I'm here I can help Israel much more so I beg you I beg you I beg you please it's no there's no amount too small 8 $180 please help because we are very bad times and unfortunately I feel the show are coming again World War I is around the corner and if we don't stand up not stand by stand up for our children and grandchildren there's not going to be any Jews left in the world so please give please thank you so much