Reuven Rivlin has been the president of Israel since 2014. He served as minister of communications from 2001 to 2003 in the Likud government and was Speaker of the Knesset from 2003 to 2006, and again from 2009 to 2013.

Rivlin will be paying a state visit to Canada from March 31 to April 2. The CJN interviewed him via email, prior to his arrival.

What brings you to Canada and how would you describe Canada-Israel relations?

My visit to Canada marks 70 years of Israeli-Canadian relations and the end of our celebration of 70 years of Israeli independence. Canada is a true friend of Israel and the relations between us, across a wide range of fields, are excellent. Recently, we ratified a free trade agreement between our countries, we have an R&D innovation fund, programs for young people and, of course, first and foremost, we have the wonderful Canadian Jewish community, which is a real bridge between Israel and Canada. It is a community that is connected and dedicated to Israel and which feels a responsibility towards the Jewish people and Jewish communities around the world. We are also grateful to the Canadian government for its support in the fight against anti-Semitism, BDS and for its voting record in the international arena. We feel that Canadians understand the challenges the State of Israel faces and that they stand with us.

READ: REUVEN RIVLIN’S PACKED CANADIAN ITINERARY

What do you see as Canada’s role in the Middle East peace process? Are we destined to remain a soft, middle power?

I come here during a tense week in Israel. We are all conscious of the residents of the area around Gaza, who are facing Hamas’ criminal aggression. Just a few weeks ago, a Hamas missile was fired on the centre of Israel. Then, a missile landed on a house in the Sharon area. Luckily, there were no fatalities, but there were a number of people injured. We will not allow Israeli citizens to be held hostage by a terrorist organization. We respond and know how to defend ourselves.

We should not underestimate the importance and real contributions that Canada has made to the stability of the Middle East. Canadians have served in peacekeeping forces in the Golan Heights and in Lebanon, and they are now serving with the Multinational Force and Observers, the international observer force in the Sinai. This is a significant contribution to regional stability and to Israel’s security. Canada is an important partner in the international war on terror and against ISIS. This is not what I call soft power.

You said recently that Israeli Arabs are not second-class citizens and that all citizens have full equality before the law. This was widely seen as a criticism of the so-called nation-state law. Can you comment?

My comments were not made as criticism, but as a statement of fact. I am glad that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated them in his speech to the meeting of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The State of Israel is a Jewish and democratic state. There is complete equality of rights for all citizens. There are no first-class citizens and there are no second-class voters. At the voting booth, we are all equal, and Jews and Arabs sit in the Knesset. There is no doubt about this, nor will there be, and we must not allow all sorts of critical voices to create the false impression that the State of Israel is not democratic in the fullest sense of the term.

You have also said that Israel must not work with neo-fascist forces – even if they support the Jewish state – because it must take a clear stance against racism and anti-Semitism. Can you elaborate?

Unfortunately, anti-Semitism is once again raising its head. It can be found on the political left, as well as the right. Sometimes, anti-Semites pose as lovers of Israel and haters of Jews, and sometimes they pose as friends of the Jewish people, but opponents of the State of Israel. These people are of the opinion that there is only one people who do not have the right to self-determination, and that is the Jewish people. I believe that the State of Israel and Jewish communities around the world should lead the fight against anti-Semitism and discrimination of all kinds. This is our history, this is our obligation to our people and to ourselves. This is why I believe that there must be red lines to realpolitik. First and foremost, the State of Israel should not partner with anti-Semites or neo-Nazis.

There are also attempts to rewrite our history, to limit free and fair research of the Holocaust. We must fight against this dangerous trend. Here, too, I would like to acknowledge the principled stand taken by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Canadian government on the question of anti-Semitism, and his apology on behalf of the Canadian people for what happened to the Holocaust survivors aboard the MS St. Louis. It is important that other leaders around the world follow his lead and take a clear position against anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism. The fight against anti-Semitism and discrimination is not only the Jewish people’s battle to fight, and it will not be effective unless it is truly global and single-minded.

Do you feel that the role of the president of Israel is misunderstood in the Diaspora? Officially, the office is above politics, but avoiding politics must be very difficult …

Israeli society is going through a major change. It is changing from a society made up of a clear Zionist majority, to a society made up of four clear sectors, or tribes, which are getting closer in size: secular Jews, national-religious Jews, haredim and Arabs. These sectors study in separate education systems, live in separate towns, have different media and hold different ideas about Israel and its values. These demographic changes are no less than an earthquake. When we look at today’s first-grade classes, where about 50 per cent are Arabs and haredim, we must ask ourselves: what are the values shared by the majority of Israelis today? How can we ensure prosperity in Israel when the Arabs and the haredim are not yet an effective part in Israel’s economy? This new Israeli reality is a huge economic challenge for Israel, but also a serious liberal and Jewish challenge. How can we create a common language? How can we create a shared Israeli hope? I believe that this challenge, of creating a partnership between the four tribes, is one of the most significant challenges that Israel faces today, and as president, this is my challenge. In order to meet this challenge, we need the partnership with you, the fifth tribe, the Jewish world.

This interview has been edited and condensed for style and clarity.