Israeli President Says Democracy in Israel ‘Not Just for Jews’

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said that Israel is not at war with Islam and femocracy is not just for Jews; democracy is for all citizens of Israel.

MOSCOW, (Sputnik) — Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said Tuesday that Israel is not at war with Islam and stressed that democracy in Israel is not just for Jews.

A draft bill seeking to define Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people, has spurred much debate both in Israel and abroad in recent years. Opponents of the proposed legislation claim that this would undermine Israel's democracy and minorities' rights.

“Israel is not at war with Islam… Democracy is not just for Jews; democracy is for all citizens of Israel,” William Daroff, Washington director of the Jewish Federations of North America, quoted Rivlin as saying on his Twitter account.

#Israel @PresidentRuvi tells #COPmission15: Democracy is not just for Jews; democracy is for all citizens of Israel.

— William Daroff (@Daroff) February 17, 2015

The Israeli president also praised Israel’s relationship with the United States, stating that the partnership between the countries is “non-partisan” and based on mutual values.

“The three most important relationships #Israel has are 1) with the US, 2) with the US, and 3) with the US,” Daroff wrote on Twitter, quoting President Rivlin.

.@PresidentRuvi: The three most important relationships #Israel has are 1) with the US, 2) with the US, and 3) with the US. #COPmission15

— William Daroff (@Daroff) February 17, 2015

Rivlin made the remarks to the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.