Israeli President Reuven Rivlin spoke to Jewish leaders on Wednesday about shared challenges in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and anti-Semitism.
In a video conference from his residence in Jerusalem, Rivlin said, “These are days when we are all facing the challenges of the coronavirus and, more than ever, it is most important to deepen the bonds between us. It is time for us to be there for each other. We must stand together in fighting all forms of anti-Semitism.”
In an apparent reference to the unrest in the United States surrounding the killing of African-American George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, Rivlin added, “We must stand together in fighting all forms of racism. Anti-Semitism and racism are two sides of the same coin, and we must fight them wherever they appear.”
The virtual meeting was held under the titled “A Family Gathering,” in cooperation with the Israeli Foreign Ministry, according to a spokesman for the president.
Participants from the U.S. included Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations CEO William Daroff, Union for Reform Judaism president Rabbi Rick Jacobs, Jewish Federations of North America president and CEO Eric Fingerhut and representatives from the Jewish students’ organization Hillel, the Jewish Community Relations Council and the ultra-Orthodox community.
