Israeli President Rivlin: ‘Political crisis threatens to erode trust in national institutions’

Rivlin stressed the IDF’s role in maintaining cohesion during times of crisis.

By World Israel News Staff

President of Israel Reuven Rivlin warned about the dangers of the ongoing political crisis in Israel, in which the country heads to its fourth election in less than two years, during the closing address at the IDF Intelligence Directorate’s senior command conference on Tuesday.

“The ongoing political crisis does not only strengthen voices that wish to exclude entire groups from Israeli people, but also threatens to erode the trust of the people in national institutions,” Rivlin said.

He said that the army has a role to play in strengthening “national resilience,” which he said was linked to a feeling of shared national objectives.

“Our model of a people’s army had, and still has, an important, vital role in establishing this principle – the principle of partnership as the basis for national resilience. It is an army which, alongside protecting against external threats, protects Israeli society according to Ben-Gurion’s doctrine of ‘stateliness,’ from the unraveling of the bonds of partnership between us,” Rivlin said.

Rivlin also stressed the IDF’s role in pulling together Israel’s disparate populations.

“To what extent are your units, dear commanders, diverse? How far do your people reflect the composition of Israeli society? How ready and able are they to include new types of people, and how are they working to promote this integration?” Rivlin asked.

“These are questions you should be addressing, particularly given the fact that your graduates are given tools and reputations that are an entry ticket to the workforce and civilian life in Israel,” he said.

It is generally acknowledged that IDF connections play an important role in professional advancement in post-army life.