I may even do that myself. I hope youll respond appropriately and as quickly as you can. Thank you very much for your service. Thank you, senator. This year, our student can documentary contest asks students to tell us what issues they want to hear from the president ial candidate. Policies bans road to the white house coverage and get all the details about our student camp contest at cspan. Org. President talked about how to he demographics in his country could affect the nations government and politics. Hosted by the institution, yell also discussed how the nation has changed since its formation, his childhood in jerusalem and his work as a policymaker and politician. This is about 45 minutes. [applause] thank you very much. Languaget the english i read more rich because the translation when i was speaking about the new israeli agenda and it was translated into english as the new israeli order. It is not a new israeli order. We have no orders in our democracy. At least, we hope that we would never have orders in our believey, so i really that the translation that they spoke about the new agenda, the new water it cannot be translated like that. I must say that yesterday, i was asked by the president of the United States what i am going to do today and i said first thing am morning, i god bless all of you. As you had said before, i am from jerusalem, son of one from jerusalem, it goes back to the year 1809 when my ancestors came to jerusalem. We came 100 years before the Political Movement of zionism because we believe that the juice should not only pray three times a day, because our head of he said toe us, why should we pray three times . If you like to go to jerusalem, lets go to jerusalem, so we did and at the time, it was not part of the conflicts. Very few people inside the walls of jerusalem, and they welcomed who was situated in there. Inprayed and did everything order to bring prosperity to jerusalem and to try to bring jerusalem to become the capital of the believers of all the world. We believe that jerusalem is a part of the idea of the jewish people have to return to the homeland, to build their own state at the time. We were in very good friendship with all of our neighbors and cousins. E never fought of course we had differences of opinion,. Israeleve the land of belongs, according to the beliefs of the choose but we have no other place to go. When i was born a seventh and had been living there for more than 12 generations because there are bers of my family that are we are the ancient because the people were in jerusalem priority 417 generations, one of them is the late president of israel, god rest his soul. When i was born, it was a long time ago, a century ago, we were only 200,000 juice and we lived together. Years, until 48, we were already 700,000 juice9. Minister ofst prime israel announced after getting approval from the since then we are in a conflict we have started the real tragedy between the two people who are living in the land of israel 150 years ago because people in israel, once were talking about the conflict believe on both , sides that jews and arabs are doomed. They are doomed to live together given while it is our destiny to live together there is no other way. This is the reality. We are talking about the state of israel. Of course, we have to talk about the conflict with the palestinians because jerusalem is the microcosm of our ability to live together or be in work together. It is a microcosm. In the city, we have about 800,000 jerusalemites. We have 300,000 israelipalestinian, not even israeli citizens. We are in the same city living downser and our ups and cause a lot of difficulties. I believe that the tragedy goes because we have no confidence in each other no confidence , whatsoever. In order to be able to discuss the tragedy, to be able to try and find a way to bring to an end the tragedy, we have to have confidence in each other and we have no confidence. The israelis dont believe the palestinians. The palestinians reject from time to time the very idea of the existence of israel as a state. Not only the jewish state. That brings us all the time to ups and downs. A few years ago, once we were talking about the palestinian entity, about the president changing his strategy and i believe he knows very well the future of the Palestinian People and i never was one who learned how to patronize anyone. Im not patronizing anyone whatsoever. Because of that, maybe members of the Israeli Parliament decided i would be the president because we dont agree about the idea of the future of zionism. When i talk to them, never i patronize them. I really believe that without patronizing anyone, president abbas knows a few years ago, the hamas was a problem to the palestinian community. Unfortunately now, most of the palestinian citizens believe the hamas is the solution and not the problem. That brings us to a very delicate situation and i would like immediately to go to the real idea of cooperation. I believe the breach, the foundation of every bridge to bridge the gap between the peace agreements between us and the palestinians and a lack of ability to trust one another is to start and begin with the israeli citizens. Arabs and jews altogether, because when they understand they are israeli , serving as part of the israeli environment, of the israeli hope. They are part of the israeli hope to be able and willing to succeed as a human being, as a citizen, not only as a member of one of the communities. When i was born, we had absorbed the jewish peoples. So many people came from all over. From 70 communities, everyone had his own tradition. Everyone had his own way to pray and worship god. Everyone had his own food, his own habit. We have absorbed one another. Everyone absorbed the people who came after them. The people that came from russia. The people that came after them. And we all were building the jewish state. We are one community in spite of differences of opinion between right and wrong or left and wrong, people who believe where zionism should lead us to. Everyone really understand very well that we have to be together because there is no other way to succeed the idea of the jewish people going back to the homeland. We were 80 of the population altogether. We knew we had to serve in the army because there is no other one to protect us. The idf. It was our army. Everyone had his own position in the army. We had the same idea we have to be together in spite of all differences of opinion. And like in the tablet talm ud, jews cannot leave without a difference of opinion. Even the candles of hanukkah, we dont know if you like him in the first one to the 81 or the 81 to the first one. 81 eighth one to the first one. The idea of our tradition is all the time up to debate. We knew we are one community. Even people who believe in god e and healthy 600 and 30 630, they were both up in the synagogue and did not know there were other synagogues. Persont in every jewish you have three people. Synagogue, this one goes to the left synagogue, and both will never into the third synagogue enter the third synagogue. There were minorities. We have established the democracy of israel and a parliamentarian way of democracy. Ability not achieve the approve theand constitution. Majoritye thought the from the left side to the wrong side, the left side to the right side or whatever, without the understanding of the minority we cannot actually bring to the approval any kind of constitution because the constitution first of all has a task and a role to keep the rights of the minorities. We had two minorities. At the time when we were 80 of the population of israel in the idea of zionism and the idea of bringing the state of israel to prosper, we were talking to the minorities. There were two minorities. The arabs. They rejected the idea that the israeli state would be defined as the Jewish Democratic state. If we are all us, in israel and we accept israel because your citizens of israel in spite of the idea that our people are in war with our state, we are rejecting the very idea that israel would be to find as the jewish state. Democracy, b the state of foreign citizens. You can cite from simon that site from time to time. If it is possible to change the definition and the character of the jewish state not to be a jewish state but a state of citizens. To givewould not agree our support to any kind of constitution that says israel is a jewish state. We said no. We know they need for the next few hundred years to remain israel as the jewish state because the jewish people have no other place. We have to keep in our heads the only prerogative to have right of return for every june jew. They have rejected this and said we would not approve. We will not get our support to the idea that israel would be a jewish state, defined as a jewish state. Is a state of foreign citizens. Thethe other minority, ultraorthodox people in israel and they are 20 . We are talking about the power of ability and power of decisions, because most of them are participating in the election. If the whole population does goes to the polls, they are 80 80 80 5 using the democracy of israel. They said ok, we understand very well what is democracy. Because you explained it to us. It is not too important for us because we know everyone is keeping the rights of everyone. In god we trust. Understand what the meaning of democracy is because you explained it to us. It is quite clear to us. But what is the meaning of the jewish state . Is the jewish state only according to the is it only something that goes into other understanding of the jewish state . Now was a rejection until about the fighting israel as the jewish state. As long as we are not defining what a jewish state is. Appreciate but i cannot give my hand to the idea that people of all the values we are keeping and being appreciated by the entire world. When we were 80 and there were no tribes, no communities. Communities that have their need to identify themselves and to declare themselves into something that is different, but they were only 20 . They went to their own schools. They could influence the atmosphere ofhe israel. But they could be decisive. Once you have 80 of the center, and some of them were even when when theysecularists the firstht up, synagogue was an orthodox synagogue. Believedrstood and that judaism is nothing to do whatsoever. They were brought up in new york or los angeles or washington. They found out they would like to not fulfill every one of the oldest of the they didnt it according to their belief in their way believing. We went to different schools and required different programs. And now i only showed the people of israel the mirror of our community. Im not so sure that they have the solutions given im not so sure they have an idea of how we can solve problems. How we can bring it to an end. I have put for the population in israel is the idea that we are now not minorities because everyone of the tribes is in the same they have the size. Now i understand why i have a diplomatic 50 . E are almost there are four drives and everyone thinks differently. Children are not thinking well of each other. 80 have served in the army. The army was the melting pot of the jewish israelis. All of them. Besides most of the israeli arab citizens, the israelipalestinians, they were citizens that did not serve in the army. The army was really the melting pot of all of the majorities that lived in israel. Now we have less than 50 that are serving in the army. This is a problem. The only place the israelis could meet within five or six years or 10 years within one generation that means they would find themselves being strangers want to each other. They have to pay tax to make the country able to budget and to go on the priorities once we talk about the budget. The security and the building of security that we are facing. And in those days much more because of what i have done is to show the whole israeli people and population that we have something to think about. It is not anymore minorities and majorities. It is a real consideration of minorities. That is something we have to take into consideration. I can talk to you about those problems for hours. I believe once we are talking with the palestinians, the first way to build confidence is with the israeli citizens, israeliarab citizens, and between the two communities to let them understand that they have the same hope of every israeli and its difficult to convince them. Not because its very hard and difficult to convince them because they dont to listen. You doometimes because not have things to tell them and say to them. You say lets go together. I really believe that building the bridge with the Israeli Arabs is something that is necessary to show the palestinians that peace will come when we will be able to understand we are living in the same space of earth. These two states. These three states. A confederation. Sides itsk of both not there hope of life to live together. But its not too difficult to live together because it brings you some advantages and the hope that maybe it is in our both interests and mutual interests to bring to an end the tragedy we are living in. Its to cooperate and understand to leavere not doomed together. It is really our destiny to do so and it starts in israel with this problem. To bring all the strives to become communities who have different ways of living. Nevertheless they know that we are one entity. We are one people and the hope of the people, the new agenda of israel is the hope of every citizen of israel to succeed and to get the ability to find the israeli dream part of his life. Thank you very much and now i will take questions. [applause] mr. Rivlin i apologize. Mr. President , its a special honor for me in particular. I am also a jerusalemite. Is particularly special for me. President not know the is one of the biggest fans of the soccer club in jerusalem. I will confess that i hope in the spirit of unity will forgive this. I grew up right by the soccer field of a different team. Thats the last time i will mention that other team. Mr. Rivlin now we all have teddy. He spoke about jerusalem and your family. From the 19th century, long before the modern zionist movement. Jerusalem is troubled. Its on many peoples minds here in d. C. When you look at the violence in the streets and the microcosm and these tribes in jerusalem. About one third arab, one third secular, National Religious and other. What gives you the most hope in the most concern . When you look for the in the city in the next 2030 years . 1967, the since population in jerusalem on the arab side and in the israeli side really believed we can live together. They have the hope. They knew that the Israeli Government is very precise about keeping jerusalem united. We started to cooperate. We had ups and downs during the years for centuries before this time. Unfortunately we as people who believe that we have united jerusalem, we get three refugee camps in jerusalem. Intimidated by the need of security and have built walls. We have made it quite difficult for jerusalemites to really fulfill their rights as citizens of jerusalem. Mayor succeed at a time in achieve a1984, to mass majority in the jerusalem minas of halley because more than 20,000 jerusalemites from the arab neighborhoods that voted for him because they said we have to decide upon our future as citizens. We would like to influence. Even at the time there was a man named i was a member of the jerusalem musicality. Municipality. If youre not going to turn back from the idea of uniting jerusalem or implement the israeli law on all of jerusalem, im going to run to become the mayor of jerusalem. I, a member of the likud, said welcome. Your deputy to be likud they were annoyed by my announcement. They said if youre really supporting the idea of the tousalem act, then im ready contribute and everything you will become part of the israeli experience, part of israeli way of planning jerusalem. To the problems we failed to find really understanding and believe we can live together. I believe there are a lot of projects at the time. For example, the Electricity Company of east jerusalem. We thought that maybe we could combine them to the israeli Electricity Company. No, we have to keep the electricity governor Jerusalem Company of jerusalem operated by the because we need people side to palestinian have the ability to run, manage and be part of the people running jerusalem. And they were hesitating. The police ofve all the jerusalemite i know that most of jerusalem is quite satisfied with the understanding of the Palestinian People would like to define themselves as a nation. They would like to have their determination about nationality. When we are talking about day by andlife and the cooperation the ability of everyone to cooperate and to be with the hope that we can achieve the needs as a person, human being. And when he goes to school and to the university he can find his way inside the israeli environment. Then we can come to the idea that we are one community. Unfortunately for the time being as it is developing just now and the hatred and the not only intimidation because only today, we are in the position that at we have defined a way to bring to an end and occasion that we needed and the understanding of both sides. Egypt,ve war with ceasefire. Andanaged to bring to peace a peace treaty and live in peace for the last 40 years. Nevertheless even today to the understanding that we are talking about fighting extremism and fighting fundamentalism we have to cooperate because it is the best interest of both people. It is a mutual interest. We can find a way to live together. About are talking incitement. Facebook org about the internet. Facebook that goes into every house of everyone of us all around the world. We find we have no mechanism in ther to bring to an end riot and violence we are facing a jerusalem only today. My heart is with them. If something happens in the vicinity of jerusalem, those matters are bringing more and more disagreement. Garden, to believe your if you are a gene that the air was the murderer in the g was evil. Few is evil. And really educating our children. That is something that goes for generations to come. The hope is that everyone will believe we can live together. Situatedsalemite being says to us, you have closed because it was ready to protect the burden of security and bring you to the idea that we have to be there has to be walls between the two sided jerusalem. Israel. T of lets assume i would like to be part of israel. What possibilities do i have . Do i have a chance . Do i have a future . Do i have hope . Can i go for my school to the . Toew University School find work . That is something that goes to the burden of the majority. We have to find by all means the possibility to cooperate. When they say we dont like to cooperate with you because were patronizing to us what you would like to impose on us the idea of we will not give up the idea that israel exist as a jewish state. Its not only a dialogue. Canvery the fact everyone achieve israeli hope is the real task, the real goal we have to operate in order to find a way of cooperation between all people all around. It is still very complicated to do so but we have to start with the first mr. Sachs with your permission, when you presented to us you mentioned a scene of israel now of tribes. Based study in separate educational systems. They teach different values. In one case its a different language. In a sense this represents a change from a melting pot idea from the early state to a multicultural approach. How can this be done . With the challenge you presented to the israelis, how can that be managed . Should these different Education Systems be merged . Mr. Rivlin when you live in tried you live with the threat that 70 was to impose on you something you would not be ready to be imposed by. We are living according to our traditions they would say. According to our ways. We can cooperate but you cannot impose on us. Day it isy after almost impossible to invoke. If you impose something on went to find the understanding. The understanding we are living in communities by the communities need to cooperate because we are living also as one country. As one people. As one people that have differences, different approaches the life. Different approaches of the way in of values. We are defending that everyone of us can leave live together. And the melting pot has to be something that is just now be found the everyone of us. You are saying the right thing. Knowof the Arab Israelis hebrew. Not fluently, but they know hebrew. There are few in the state of hebrew that no arabic at all. Some of the parents the kingdom arab countries, they knew. Were we have tribes from all over the diasporas. Ninea grandpa to grandchildren. Five boys and four girls. You can have no mistake when you thaty grownup grandchild are serving the army just now. S, butow they are rivlin very sure the argument nights yemenites. Their mother is so dominant that there are two yemenite israelis. I dont believe that in his way of thinking that he is the one that thought like a profit about the people of israel. He was not sure that after a generation it would help to have two yemenite grandchildren. I have three two of them are girls. What is avoid. Wonderful children. Nothing to be made mistake about. They have another three that are ashkanizi. The the whole community of israel has changed. Togethernnot bring those communities that are not forced to live alone. Ultraorthodox and believes that giving the ability to one of his children deserve hesitationsld bring about what he believes and about what he was brought up. In the meantime the separation between the communities brings us to lack of ability to run the economy of israel. They understand this very well. Now we see more and more ultraorthodox youth joining the israeli army. After that they can go to work. After that they are part of the community. They can keep their traditions. They can keep their beliefs. If you impose on them, they would say no way. If you say to them, we are living in different communities. Were living in a sort of need oft time, but the the unification and all this for our mutual purpose, to become something that they were defined as an israeli home for all of us, in order to bring to understanding all of the communities. I am not sure it is possible. Say not too optimistic to in the least. Or politically correct. It is not politically correct. Theylly believe without would understand. The arabisraeli arab communities at the time of 30 children and now the juice jews have 30 children. I am not patronizing. Understand that they would like to live according to the way they can support and they can bring their children to the best chances. Not imposing the coming to understand there are possibilities in all this. It is not something you say you have to take time, i am a minority. You have to take care of the. Of me. Minorities had to be rejected by the majority. Now there is no war majority. Every majority can become a minority in no time. Communities create the israeli experience an israeli experience being met by only 30 of the population. This cannot be done when were talking about 10 years to come. Showing one another we can live together. To live together and separate. Separately and together in the same nation the same population. I really believe it is something that we have come to the mind of everyone because it is necessity. It is something we cannot live without. Mr. Sachs you outlined in your talk four tasks for the israelis. Among the was creating sense of security for all citizens. And also creating a new sense of israeliness, what it would be in this new agenda. Would ben israeliness the hope of every israeli from all the tribes that we have a although he belongs to the communities that are living altogether. Understand you dont do programs being led by the president ial house. To bring together children from , fromorthodox schools israeli arab schools, from a general school, and a National Orthodox school. Every month. Thoseetings between schools from all over israel. We are doing a lot in order to let them operate through the internet first of all. The macy were all the same. Actually we are dealing with the environment problem. Its not so that it goes into the mirror of differences between the communities about general ideas. They find themselves sitting altogether. I must say that some of the parents are refusing to let children go to meetings between the groups. Especially when were talking about a Jewish School and an Arabic School in the state of israel. Both schools in israel. Nevertheless they