Rivlin hits back at Erdogan, says Jerusalem’s Jewish majority dates back 150 years

President Reuven Rivlin tells visiting Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby that Israel remains committed to protecting religious freedom for all faiths, following critical remarks on the Jewish state by the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“Jerusalem is a microcosm of our ability to live together. And we will continue to ensure freedom of religion for all faiths,” Rivlin tells Welby.

Rivlin also responds to remarks by the Turkish president, who bitterly criticized Israel for its treatment of of Muslims and vowed to halt the judaization of Jerusalem.

“We have heard voices which attack Israel for building Jewish life in Jerusalem — for the last 150 years there has been a Jewish majority in Jerusalem, even under the Ottoman Empire,” the president says.

“Israel is the only country in the Middle East where the Christian community is flourishing. And Israel is committed to the values of freedom of religion for all people of faith,” he adds. “This is our value and our duty as a Jewish-democratic state.”