Rivlin at Jerusalem Day ceremony: Jerusalem cannot be divided

President Reuven Rivlin speaks at the Jerusalem Day ceremony in the capital.

“I remember when in 1948, the city was torn asunder…. Until 50 years ago, anyone who stood here, on the border of the Old City, was endangering his life.

“Sometimes, I hear good citizens complaining about Jerusalem. Jerusalem is not the problem, it is the solution.”

He comes out against dividing the city into two capitals for two states.

“There are those who would use a Solomonic solution to Jerusalem. But those who would perform surgery in the city, Jerusalem is foreign to him and he is a foreigner to her. It is forbidden to divide Jerusalem.”

“The government of Israel has invested a great deal in Jerusalem…in a multi-year program to unify the city, a responsibility not only to those living in East Jerusalem, but to all citizens.”

He adds, “We witnessed a miracle and returned [to Jerusalem],” but offers the traditional warning of the Jewish tradition, “Jerusalem is a deposit we can hold as long as we are deserving of her. May we be deserving of the deposit. May we be deserving of our capital.”