Rivlin tells Spain what it wants to hear: ‘One state’
But still mentions Inquisition
Reiterating what he had said the previous evening at a dinner hosted in his honor by King Felipe of Spain, President Reuven Rivlin in an address to the parliament on Tuesday declared that Spain is one country as far as Israel is concerned – one sovereign entity – and the problems it faces these days are internal.
“Our relations with all the citizens of Spain are dear to us, and we pray that the current challenge will be solved through understanding,” he said.
Rivlin was not speaking to a full plenum – half the seats were empty. Although those legislators who did attend gave him a standing ovation at the conclusion of his address, outside the Parliament there was a pro-Palestinian demonstration, where protesters held banners on which the message in English stated: “You are Zionists, not Children of Israel. Stop Genocide in Palestine... Reuven Rivlin, nobody wants you to be in Spain.” The message concluded that his place was in prison for his crimes against the Palestinians.
In his address to the parliament, Rivlin, while commending the good relations that now exist between Israel and Spain, did not let the Spaniards off the hook for the cruelty to which Jews were subjected before and during the Inquisition.
“The relationship between our two communities has not always been harmonious,” he said. “Pogroms, murders, harassment and public humiliation were all part of the Jews’ daily lives, both during the Golden Era and certainly in the decades after. These events peaked at the Alhambra Decree of 1492.
“The exile of Jews from Spain tore a hole in the long and diverse history of Jewish life and creation in Spain. This exile harmed not only the Jewish people but the Spanish people as well. The entire Jewish world changed in light of this deportation,” he said.
On a more positive note, Rivlin referred to the Madrid Conference of 1991 and its impact on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, emphasizing that Israel has always wanted peace with her neighbors.
Even though the peace process is currently stalled, the president said, the Madrid Conference remains a guiding compass.
Moving forward to the present time, Rivlin said that he expects Spain to continue to voice opposition to boycotts. “Anyone who tries to harm the State of Israel by means of boycotts is personally sabotaging the chances of ever reaching a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and will find themselves on the wrong side of history,” he declared.
He also spoke of the Iranian threat to eradicate Israel, the importance of democracy, and Israel’s 70-year struggle against terrorism.