President Reuven Rivlin addresses the issue of violence and incitement in Jerusalem during dedication ceremony of road in the memory of former PM Yitzhak Shamir. The address was delivered on Sunday, 25 Tishrei. The address was made at the ceremony to dedicate a main road in memory of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir.

The President said, “It is no secret that Jerusalem is turbulent. Too many violent incidents occur in East as well as in West Jerusalem. This violence, which boils into terrorism, must be stopped, and severely dealt with by the security forces and police. Even at the cost of forcible action against the rioters – whether Arab or Jew. Jerusalem cannot be governed by groups with an interest to enflame and stoke the fires at their will. We cannot ignore the conscious attempts by different sides to incite Jerusalem’s citizens, against each other. Jerusalem wasn’t divided into tribes. She was not and will not be anybody’s hostage, or political pawn. Jerusalem must be kept as a sovereign city with a responsibility to all its inhabitants, and maintaining the relations between them.”

The President continued on to stress the importance of dealing with the violent threats. He said, “Jerusalem cannot be the city where the light rail, which provides service to all the city’s residents, is attacked in such a way that threatens to destabilize the ability to lead a normal life in the city. Jerusalem cannot be a city, in which the building is done in secret, or whereby moving into apartments is done in the dead of night. We must bear the responsibility to keep Jerusalem sovereign. We need to take the reins, and manage Jerusalem in an active and straightforward way, with care and thoughtfulness. I hope that in Yitzhak Shamir’s spirit, we will know how to stand up for our undisputed right over Jerusalem, and through this right, treat her as a sovereign with all the responsibility that comes with it.”

Mr. Rivlin noted the significance of naming the road in memory of the late Yitzchak Shamir. He noted, “The love for Jerusalem ran through his veins, charged him and was as his own flesh and blood. Today, Jerusalem honors, a man who loved her greatly. Who fought for her, who defended her honor, and who stood his ground to keep her united and undivided. Naming the interchange, in honor of Yitzhak Shamir, is a symbol of gratitude from the united city, to one of her greatest lovers. May the memory of Yitzhak Shamir, be engraved in our hearts, and in the heart of the united city of Jerusalem, for generations to come.”

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat also spoke at the event, and said: “Israel’s seventh Prime Minister, Yitzhak Shamir was one of the best sons of this country, and one of the greatest lovers of Jerusalem. Today, by naming the road leading to Jerusalem in his name, we pay tribute to his memory and legacy, and in that we honor Jerusalem itslf. ”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)