Israeli President to US General: ‘I Was Born in Jerusalem, I Am Israeli’

In an obvious response to the recent US Supreme Court decision to deny US citizens born in Jerusalem the ability to have “Israel” listed as the country in their passport, Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin expressed pride in his place of birth in a meeting with visiting US Gen. Martin Dempsey, despite US non-recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.

Meeting Wednesday morning with Chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey, President Reuven Rivlin indirectly criticized the US Supreme Court’s ruling on Monday that American citizens born in the city of Jerusalem cannot list Israel as their birthplace on their US passports

At the President’s residence, Rivlin welcomed Dempsey to “Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Israel.”

“We are proud to have you as a friend. We salute and appreciate you, and your friendship will be well remembered,” Rivlin said.

“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,” he added, relating to the controversial court decision.

Rivlin also referred to the instability and security challenges in the Middle East, and specifically the danger posed by Iran, the ongoing civil war in Syria and the mounting threat of terror organizations proliferating in the region. For the citizens of Israel, “it is not a theoretical or hypothetical issue. This is a very real threat to the citizens of Israel – Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike,” he stated.

Dempsey responded that he was “happy to be back in Israel,” this being his sixth visit to Israel and fifth in his current position.

“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,” the top military officer said.

He emphasized the close military collaboration between the two allies. “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.”

Dempsey met during this visit with IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot and Minister of Defense Moshe Ya’alon, and is slated to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later Wednesday.

By: United with Israel Staff

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