Israeli President, Reuven Rivlin in a video conference on Wednesday, spoke to Jewish leaders about shared challenges in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and anti-Semitism.
The meeting, which also included Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and Diaspora Affairs Minister Omer Yankelevich, largely focused on the challenges facing American Jews amid the pandemic, Israel-Diaspora ties and the need to combat rising anti-Semitism.
The president also expressed fears anti-Semitism could get worse over the coming year in light of the pandemic, which has led to a spike in anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
“These are days when we are all facing the challenges of the coronavirus and, more than ever, it is most important to deepen the bonds between us. It is time for us to be there for each other. We must stand together in fighting all forms of anti-Semitism,” President Rivlin said.
“Anti-Semitism and racism are two sides of the same coin, and we must fight them wherever they appear,” he added.
President Rivlin said since becoming president in 2014, he has a better understanding of American Jewry with all of its different streams.
He called for continued efforts to build new bridges of understanding between Israel and American Jews, while thanking the US Jewish community for its support of Israel.
Among the American participants were CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations William Daroff; President and CEO of Sinai Health System, Chicago Karen Teitelbaum; President of the Union for Reform Judaism Rabbi Rick Jacobs; President and CEO of The Jewish Federations of North America Eric Fingerhut; spokesperson for the Monsey Jewish community Rabbi Yisroel Kahan and Rabbi Sharon Brous of IKAR, Los Angeles.
Speaking at the President’s Residence alongside Rivlin, Ashkenazi hailed Diaspora Jews as a “cornerstone” of Israeli diplomacy.
“The sense of mutual obligation between the State of Israel and the global Jewish community is a cornerstone of Israeli diplomacy around the world and for me personally as foreign minister,” Ashkenazi said.
“I salute the leaders of the American Jewish community for their leadership as they confront the coronavirus pandemic. We share the same fate and we must work together to get through this crisis,” he added.
