President Reuven Rivlin this afternoon (Tuesday) met at his residence with the leaders of the FC Barcelona Philanthropic Foundation, who were visiting Israel to research opportunities for cooperation and partnerships with projects in the country. Also attending the meeting was Leader of the Opposition Isaac Herzog, who was hosting the group in Israel.
The President told them of his own love for football, and that through it he saw potential to build bridges between communities. He told them, “Your work in the community should be emulated around the world. It seems that we are just dealing with football, but really we are dealing with humanity, and the ability to connect between people and bridge divides. The President’s Office is working to build bridges between football players from all the different tribes of Israel, to bring them to play together – even here in the garden of the President’s house. We have initiated the annual Shield of Honor award, bestowed upon the team which does the most to bring people together.”
The President added, “When we teach youth on the football pitch that there is no difference between us, we also build the understanding that we live together, and not doomed to do so, but destined to do so. We can live together in mutual respect.” He concluded, “We must find the way to connect between people, and not just to envisage it, but to do it. To forge shared lives.”