(Communicated by the President's Spokesperson)

President Rivlin this morning (Wednesday 10 June 2015), welcomed to his residence, Chairman of the United States' Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, on his sixth visit to Israel.  The President began by thanking him for his friendship to Israel.  He said, "We are proud to have you as a friend.  We salute and appreciate you, and your friendship will be well remembered." The President added, "I am a seventh generation 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."
 
Referring to the wider situation in the region, including the threat posed by Iran and the ongoing civil war in Syria, the President said, "It was commonly thought that the enemy of your enemy was your friend.  However, we know that this is no longer necessarily the case. For us it is not a theoretical or hypothetical issue.  This is a very real threat to the citizens of Israel - Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike."
 
Gen. Dempsey said, "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."