President Reuven Rivlin visited the Tomb of biblical Jethro in Hittin, west of Tiberias, on Tuesday to mark the Druze Feast of Nabi Shu'aib, marking the anniversary of his death. He told those in attendance, "As every year, I stand here today and know that this status is both festive and binding, and it is an opportunity to commemorate this important holiday with you, an opportunity to remember the deep and historical connection between the Druze religion and the Jewish religion.
"It is also a binding status. In a few days we will all stand and remember those who fell in the ranks of Israel. I am sure we will hear a lot about the 'blood pact' between the communities. But I always emphasize that the covenant can not be only a 'blood pact'. It must be a 'covenant of life'. A true alliance, it must not be based solely on the sword, war and death, it must be rooted in life. A true covenant is an alliance of equals. It will come true when we understand how important we are to each other every day."