​(Communicated by the President’s Spokesperson)
 
 
President Rivlin this morning (Wednesday, 18 January 2017), received at his residence a delegation of Indonesian Muslim leaders visiting Israel on the initiative of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC).
 
President Rivlin warmly welcomed the group and told them of how his family had returned to live in Israel two centuries ago, and of their lives in Jerusalem throughout the years. He said, “Throughout the years, we all lived in Jerusalem together in harmony, Muslims, Christians, and Jews.” He stressed, “We are not doomed to live together, we are destined to live together. My forefathers believed, as do I, that we can all live here together. We believe in Israel as a democratic and Jewish state – not democracy only for Jews, there is democracy for everyone.” He added, “We have no war with Islam. Unfortunately there are people who are rejecting the very idea of the State of Israel, like Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas who say loud and clear there is no way to recognize Israel – from an pan-Islamic point of view.”
 
President Rivlin turned to the delegation and said, “I assure you in Jerusalem, the city of God, everyone can worship according to his belief, and Israel will continue to defend this right – it doesn’t matter what the anti-Israel propaganda may say. The propaganda only comes to try and provoke the Islamic world against Israel.”
 
The President added his hope for greater cooperation and interaction between the two peoples, Israel and Indonesia, and noted that the connection between people was crucial for the future of everyone.
 
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Professor Istibsjarob said, “It is an honor to be here, as President of the Institute for Higher Education, as a chairperson on the Islamic Council Board, and as a former senator of the Republic of Indonesia. Indonesia consists of more than 17,000 islands, and flying from one side to the other can take ten hours. Although there are many different religions and cultures, they are all one as Indonesian citizens.”
 
The group went on to speak about the importance of dialogue between different faiths and cultures.