The inauguration of President-elect Reuven (Ruby) Rivlin will take place Thursday afternoon as scheduled, but spokespeople in the president’s official residence say the ceremony will be scaled back in light of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Rivlin will be sworn in as Israel’s 10th president in the Knesset plenum, following an honor guard in the parliament courtyard. A cocktail reception was cancelled.
Rivlin was elected on June 10 following a bitter campaign against Labor candidate Binyamin (Fuad) Ben-Eliezer, ex-Labor Party member Dalia Itzik, Nobel Laureate Prof. Dan Shechtman and former Supreme Court Justice Dalia Dorner. Upon his election, Rivlin pledged to serve as president for all of Am Yisrael.
“All Israeli citizens, Jews, Arabs and Druze alike, rich and poor, observant and less observant, I pray to God… Grant us peace, goodness and blessing, life, charity and mercy. Bless all of us, our father. Blessed is the one who blesses the children of Israel with peace,” Rivlin said after the election results were announced.