President Reuven Rivlin interviewed for the Globes’s “Firma” monthly media magazine, during which he pointed an accusatory finger at the "silent majority," who he said is partially responsible for the ongoing incitement to terror.
"When 95% allow 5% to run wild and incite; then the silent majority is just as guilty as those members of the 5%."
Rivlin responded to criticism directed at him by Channel 20 and slammed the channel, claiming that it “Owes me many thanks. Before the event, I didn’t hear many people talking about that channel.”
During the interview, Rivlin was asked about recent attacks against him on social media.
"It is not a recent development that the true ‘city square’ of the world’s citizens, as well as of the citizens of Israel, is the internet and social media;" he responded. "Today, you no longer need the media in order to influence the public. It is enough for one person to repeat a comment that ‘The President is not my President’ 30 times (for it to stick). He doesn’t even need to explain himself. Someone incited him to write the phrase and repeat it, thereby influencing the public’s opinion more than traditional media (ever did)."
Rivlin’s alleged controversial statement following the deadly Duma arson, in which he was quoted as saying "the sons of my nation chose terror," was brought up during the interview as well.
"I never made that statement, but I am not apologizing for it either," Rivlin responded.
"They put words in my mouth that I never said, in order to incite against me. If I would say that I never said that statement, I would be playing directly into the hands of those inciters. They would say, ‘yes you did.’"
However, he then somewhat confusingly admitted to saying, in effect, the same thing.
"Secondly, what I really said that that the ‘sons of my nation,’ when they staunchly oppose terror but do not cry out, are in essence lending a hand to terrorism."