Rivlin: US was, must always remain a safe place for Jews

Amid a wave of anti-Semitic vandalism and bomb threats targeting Jewish communities across the United States, President Reuven Rivlin tells New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday that the US must always remain a safe place for Jews.

“In the time of the Holocaust, few places were safe for Jews. The United States was a rare island of safety. We can never, ever, let that change,” Rivlin says.

Cuomo is in Israel on a visit he says is meant as an act of solidarity in the face of the anti-Semitic wave.

“Your arrival to Israel at this time is an extremely important signal that the US people and government will not let anti-Semitism win,” Rivlin tells the governor. “Our appreciation goes to [US] President [Donald] Trump who condemned the attacks – and we are deeply touched by Vice President [Mike] Pence, who went and gave a hand – and a voice – in fixing the broken gravestones,” Rivlin adds, referring to Pence’s visit to a Jewish cemetery near St. Louis, Missouri, that had been vandalized. Pence helped workers replace the toppled headstones.