Israeli president: ‘Inner war’ our greatest threat

Israel’s president warned of the risk of an “inner war” in his address to the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations.

By World Israel News Staff

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin warned of the danger of an “inner war” in his address to the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) in Tel Aviv, on Monday.

“Just a week ago, in the opening session of the Knesset, I said that our biggest threat is our inner war,” he said. “This is true for Israeli society, and this is true for the Jewish people. We must establish the importance of our relationship as a value that is above debate.”

The president added that Jews in Israel and the Diaspora have more than shared interests, “We have a shared fate, a shared history, and a shared future…”

Reverse Birthright

Rivlin said that young Israeli Jews identify being Jewish as being Israeli. He said they need to expand their horizons in the same way Jews who come to Israel do. “I support the idea of creating a ‘Reverse Taglit’ trip for young Israelis to get to know Jewish communities worldwide,” he said, referring to the popular Birthright program that brings Jews from around the world to Israel to strengthen their Jewish identity.

“We must increase their [Israeli] exposure to your schools, camps and communities. They need to realize and feel that they have a family, a family they must take into account,” he said.

The president noted a number of initiatives begun at his office together with the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs to deepen the Israel-Diaspora relationship, including partnerships between the two to help the developing world.

Over 1,200 members of Jewish federations from across North America are participating in the conference.

GPO contributed to this report.