Reuven Rivlin

“In the end, Arik believes in security above all and is a salient pragmatist, a disciple of Ben-Gurion.”

“When we come to the hospital to give birth, we don't come as a Jew or an Arab; we come as a human being.”

“There's no doubt we'd be very angry if the American president had come to the Knesset and argued against the government of Israel.”

“The extremists are talking too loudly, and everyone is convinced that only he is on the right side.”

“The politicization of the presidency would pose a real threat to the institution and its function.”

“I am not someone who will cancel plans because of personal danger, because I'm really not afraid.”

“There are no short cuts, no detours in the Middle East.”

“I wish to strengthen the hand of the Prime Minister and the heads of the security agencies in the unrelenting battle for our right to maintain normal daily life in every place in Israel.”

“It's not for the president to determine the arrangements between Israel and the Palestinians, and the Arab world, but to be the bridge between opinions and to facilitate dialogue and understanding.”

“Learning the core curriculum cannot come through coercion. It must come through a recognition of the need to integrate with economic life.”

“As a rule, whenever I hear about a demographic threat, it comes first of all from a type of thinking that says the Arabs are a threat. And this leads to thinking of transfer or that they should be killed. I am appalled by this kind of talk.”

“All over the Middle East, we face difficult challenges: the ongoing tragedy in Syria, the instability in Iraq, and the jihadist terrorism which dares to speak in the name of Islam, brings so many to seek refuge. The Hashemite Kingdom is facing all these challenges with honor, with dignity, and with great national and human solidarity.”

“Israel's foreign policy has three points: the relationship with the U.S., the relationship with the U.S., and the relationship with the U.S.”

“It pains me to see the gap that exists in the public's consciousness - religious and secular - between the notion of Israel as a Jewish state and as a democratic state.”

“We must stay focused on the bilateral negotiations between the Palestinians and us.”

“Germany remains among the few countries in Europe to acknowledge, officially and nationally, its responsibility for the crimes it led against our people.”

“Jewish and Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem are interlaced one with the other.”

“The idea that the State of Israel could be democracy only for its Jewish citizens is unconscionable, and we must find a way to address this.”

“There will never be peace unless we have open borders. But that does not mean open on our side and you continue to hit me on the other.”

“Undoubtedly, a democratic state without an alternative is a danger to democracy itself.”