Rivlin meets Dempsey in Jerusalem

President Reuven Rivlin tells Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the United States’ Joint Chiefs of Staff, that Israel respects the recent US Supreme Court ruling that Jerusalem-born Americans cannot list Israel as their birthplace.

“Of course we have no criticism of the decision of the Supreme Court in Washington. We salute the rule of law, and we appreciate and understand that they [US Supreme Court justices] have decided not upon if Jerusalem is part of Israel or not, but who is going to decide upon those matters once it is a matter that goes between the Congress and the administration and the president,” he says. “And they have ruled what they had to rule.”

“But I would like only to mention that I am a Jerusalemite and even though I was born nine years before the State of Israel was established, I was born in Jerusalem and I am Israeli,” Rivlin adds.

Dempsey says security ties between the two countries remain strong.

“I am happy to back in Israel. I am here to gain a better understanding with our counterparts in the IDF, of the threats and security challenges, and of what we can do to address them. While this is my sixth time here, my Israeli counterpart has been to America eight times. And at a staff level we are interacting constantly, and this kind of interaction is necessary for us to face the security challenges that face not only Israel but the United States. You have our deep commitment to continue to build on that relationship, but you don’t have to thank me, this is something we are honored to be part of,” he says.