Tweet
Guardian Liberty Voice
June 13 2014
Reuven Rivlin, New President of Israel
by Rathan Harshavardan on June 13, 2014.
Reuven Rivlin, a veteran lawmaker, will be at the helm of the affairs
of the state of Israel as the new president. Rivlin, who succeeds
Shimon Peres as the 10th president, is not a political novice. Chosen
by members of the parliament, the veteran lawyer from the right-wing
Likud party will cease to be a Member of the Knesset (MK) after June
10. In a secret ballot, Rivlin defeated MP Meir Sheetrit by 63 to 53
to take the position.
It is reported that Rivlin will take up the post after Peres, 90,
steps down in July following his seven-year term. Rivlin's role will
be largely ceremonial and he will have no role in the ensuing dialogue
with Palestine. The newly-elected president does not share the same
view as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as far as Palestine is
concerned. He opposes the formation of a separate Palestine and
supports Jewish settlements along the occupied West Bank. His personal
view of the issue is at odds with the Prime Minister and the party,
leaving him open to scrutiny by the party and by other nations.
No longer claiming to be affiliated to any party, Rivlin, who won in
the second round of voting on Tuesday, called himself a "man of the
nation." Speaking ecstatically to a Knesset member, Rivlin, the new
President of Israel, announced his mission of letting democracy
flourish in Israel. Born in 1939 in Jerusalem to Yosef Yoel Rivlin,
the 74-year old Rivlin studied law and graduated from the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem. A vegetarian since the late 1960s and a
father of four, he is a big fan of the Beitar Jerusalem football club
and has been so since he watched his first game in 1946.
Elected to the 12th Knesset in 1988, Rivin went on to serve as
chairman of the Likud party until 1993. After losing his seat in 1992,
he returned to the Knesset four years later. Rising to power in 1999,
he was chosen as Israel's Minister of Communications in 2001 and held
the post for two years. In 2003, he was elected as the Knesset
Speaker, a role that earned him national criticism. As an outspoken
critic of Ariel Sharon's policies, the lawyer constantly broke
convention with publicized spats. Top posts in Israel typically demand
political neutrality and Rivlin, with his views on Sharon, was a
supporter of the disengagement plan. Opposing the decision to declare
Israeli legislation illegal, Rivlin had a very public spat with Aharon
Barak, then the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Rivlin has been an outspoken supporter of the Jewish settlement along
the West Bank, and was quoted in 2010 to have declared that he would
accept Palestinians as Israelis and not carve the state in two. He
also made headlines with his criticism of Pope Benedict XVI, whose
previous service in the Nazi army was called out when the Pope
addressed Israel at the Yad Vashem memorial. Rivlin, who invited the
ire of many Members of Knesset (MK) and the political right, was the
center of controversy in 2010. Ignoring the advice from the committee
that wanted Haneed Zoabi, a Balad MK, removed for his role in the Gaza
flotilla raid in 2010, Rivlin earned praise from foreign and liberal
Israelis for his efforts to protect democracy. Campaigning for the
recognition of the Armenian genocide, the active politician gives
speeches on the issue. He insists that the genocide is not a political
issue, but a reminder of the tragedy that Armenia faced during WWI. He
also insisted in 2012 that the genocide was not an accusation against
Turkey or its government.
Prime Minister Netanyahu congratulated Rivlin on his election and
promised joint action in unifying Israel internally and against
external challenges. Israelis know that Rivlin, the new president of
Israel, has a tough act to follow. Peres is a Nobel Peace Prize winner
and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George
-honors he received for his work in Israel. After being sworn in as
Israel's newest president on July 24, Rivlin is expected to shift his
focus from international affairs to domestic issues.
By Rathan Paul Harshavardan
http://guardianlv.com/2014/06/reuven-rivlin-new-president-of-israel/
June 13 2014
Reuven Rivlin, New President of Israel
by Rathan Harshavardan on June 13, 2014.
Reuven Rivlin, a veteran lawmaker, will be at the helm of the affairs
of the state of Israel as the new president. Rivlin, who succeeds
Shimon Peres as the 10th president, is not a political novice. Chosen
by members of the parliament, the veteran lawyer from the right-wing
Likud party will cease to be a Member of the Knesset (MK) after June
10. In a secret ballot, Rivlin defeated MP Meir Sheetrit by 63 to 53
to take the position.
It is reported that Rivlin will take up the post after Peres, 90,
steps down in July following his seven-year term. Rivlin's role will
be largely ceremonial and he will have no role in the ensuing dialogue
with Palestine. The newly-elected president does not share the same
view as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as far as Palestine is
concerned. He opposes the formation of a separate Palestine and
supports Jewish settlements along the occupied West Bank. His personal
view of the issue is at odds with the Prime Minister and the party,
leaving him open to scrutiny by the party and by other nations.
No longer claiming to be affiliated to any party, Rivlin, who won in
the second round of voting on Tuesday, called himself a "man of the
nation." Speaking ecstatically to a Knesset member, Rivlin, the new
President of Israel, announced his mission of letting democracy
flourish in Israel. Born in 1939 in Jerusalem to Yosef Yoel Rivlin,
the 74-year old Rivlin studied law and graduated from the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem. A vegetarian since the late 1960s and a
father of four, he is a big fan of the Beitar Jerusalem football club
and has been so since he watched his first game in 1946.
Elected to the 12th Knesset in 1988, Rivin went on to serve as
chairman of the Likud party until 1993. After losing his seat in 1992,
he returned to the Knesset four years later. Rising to power in 1999,
he was chosen as Israel's Minister of Communications in 2001 and held
the post for two years. In 2003, he was elected as the Knesset
Speaker, a role that earned him national criticism. As an outspoken
critic of Ariel Sharon's policies, the lawyer constantly broke
convention with publicized spats. Top posts in Israel typically demand
political neutrality and Rivlin, with his views on Sharon, was a
supporter of the disengagement plan. Opposing the decision to declare
Israeli legislation illegal, Rivlin had a very public spat with Aharon
Barak, then the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Rivlin has been an outspoken supporter of the Jewish settlement along
the West Bank, and was quoted in 2010 to have declared that he would
accept Palestinians as Israelis and not carve the state in two. He
also made headlines with his criticism of Pope Benedict XVI, whose
previous service in the Nazi army was called out when the Pope
addressed Israel at the Yad Vashem memorial. Rivlin, who invited the
ire of many Members of Knesset (MK) and the political right, was the
center of controversy in 2010. Ignoring the advice from the committee
that wanted Haneed Zoabi, a Balad MK, removed for his role in the Gaza
flotilla raid in 2010, Rivlin earned praise from foreign and liberal
Israelis for his efforts to protect democracy. Campaigning for the
recognition of the Armenian genocide, the active politician gives
speeches on the issue. He insists that the genocide is not a political
issue, but a reminder of the tragedy that Armenia faced during WWI. He
also insisted in 2012 that the genocide was not an accusation against
Turkey or its government.
Prime Minister Netanyahu congratulated Rivlin on his election and
promised joint action in unifying Israel internally and against
external challenges. Israelis know that Rivlin, the new president of
Israel, has a tough act to follow. Peres is a Nobel Peace Prize winner
and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George
-honors he received for his work in Israel. After being sworn in as
Israel's newest president on July 24, Rivlin is expected to shift his
focus from international affairs to domestic issues.
By Rathan Paul Harshavardan
http://guardianlv.com/2014/06/reuven-rivlin-new-president-of-israel/