Reuven Rivlin, Israel’s 10th and current President, has been in office since June 2014. During Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s tenure, he served as the ‘Minister of Communication’ from 2001 to 2003. From 2003 to 2006, he served as Speaker of the ‘Knesset’ (Israeli Parliament), and then from 2009 to 2013, he served as Speaker of the 18th Knesset. He sat on many committees as a member of the ‘Knesset,’ including ‘Foreign Affairs and Defense,’ ‘Finance,’ and ‘Education and Culture,’ among others. He was a member of the ‘Parliamentary Inquiry Committee’ on ‘Violence in Sports’ and the ‘Local Governments’s Continuing Financial Crisis.’ He is a lawyer by profession and a graduate of Jerusalem’s ‘Hebrew University.’ He served as Chairman, Legal Advisor, and Team Manager for the ‘Betar Jerusalem Sports Association.’ He was a member of the ‘El Al Executive Council’ and the ‘Jerusalem Municipal Council,’ among other organizations. He has also served on the ‘Israel Museum’ and the ‘Khan Theater’ in Jerusalem as a member of the ‘Board of Trustees.’ He is a member of the ‘Likud’ party. He is a strong supporter of minority rights, particularly for Arab-Israelis. Reuven Rivlin, who supports a ‘one-state solution,’ is considered to be a staunch opponent of the ‘two-state solution to the ‘Israeli-Palestinian problem.’
Childhood and Adolescence
He was born in ‘Mandatory Palestine’ on September 9, 1939, to Yosef Yoel Rivlin and Rachel “Ray” Rivlin. The extended Rivlin family, who settled in Jerusalem in 1809, was descended from Vilna Gaon’s pupils.
His father, a Semitic language specialist, wrote the Hebrew translation of the Koran as well as ‘One Thousand and One Nights,’ a collection of South Asian and Middle Eastern stories. Yosef Yoel Rivlin was a presidential candidate in Israel’s third presidential election.
Gymnasia Rehavia High School was his alma mater. He joined the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in 1957 and rose to the rank of major as an intelligence officer.
He received an L.L.B. and worked as a legal professional after studying law at Jerusalem’s ‘Hebrew University.’ Reuven Rivlin has been a fan of the Beitar Jerusalem Football Team since he was a boy, and he joined the club as its Legal Advisor in the 1960s. Later in his career, he rose to become the club’s Chairman and Team Manager.
He was a member of the ‘Jerusalem Municipal Council’ from 1978 until 1983.
From 1981 until 1986, he was a member of the ‘El Al Executive Council.’
He chaired the Herut Movement’s Jerusalem Branch from 1986 to 1993.
Career of Reuven Rivlin
From 1988 to 1993, he was the Chairman of the ‘Likud Party.’ In 1988, he was elected to the ‘Knesset,’ Israel’s parliament, which is based in Jerusalem, for the first time, representing the ‘Likud’ party.
In the 1996 elections, he made a comeback to the ‘Knesset’ after a setback in the 1992 elections. In 1999, he was re-elected to the ‘Knesset.’
During Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s tenure, he served as the ‘Minister of Communication’ from March 7, 2001. He was the ‘Speaker of the Knesset’ until February 28, 2003, when he became the ‘Speaker of the House of Representatives.’ On March 28, 2006, his stint as Speaker came to an end.
When he censured Prime Minister Ariel Sharon over the ‘disengagement plan,’ he was chastised for failing to maintain political impartiality as a Speaker. He had a public spat with Aharon Barak, the then-Chairman of Israel’s Supreme Court, about the court’s authority to declare laws unconstitutional.
He won elections in 2006 and 2009, and ran for president of the ‘Likud’ party in 2007, but dropped out after the first round of voting after Kadima ‘Member of the Knesset’ Shimon Peres received widespread support.
On March 30, 2009, he was re-elected as ‘Speaker of the Knesset,’ a position he maintained until February 22, 2013. He is a strong supporter of minority rights, particularly for Arab-Israelis. He was chastised by the Israeli right-wing and many members of the ‘Knesset’ when he ignored a committee’s recommendation to remove Haneen Zoabi, a Balad ‘Mk’, for her participation in the Gaza flotilla, in June 2010. Reuven Rivlin, on the other hand, was applauded by Israeli and worldwide liberals for maintaining Haneen Zoabi’s parliamentary rights, so securing Israel’s democracy.
Reuven Rivlin is considered to be a staunch opponent of the ‘two-state solution’ to the ‘Israeli-Palestinian issue.’ On April 29, 2010, he stated his position, arguing for a “one-state solution,” in which he would prefer to accept Palestinians as Israeli citizens living in the occupied West Bank than divide Israel and the West Bank.
He is a passionate opponent of racism and expressed his displeasure in 2013 when fans shouted anti-Muslim and anti-Arab chants after the ‘Beitar’ squad inducted two Muslim players.
He was sworn in as Israel’s 10th president on July 24, 2014, after defeating Meir Sheetrit in a runoff election on June 10, 2014. He withdrew from Israel’s Parliament after becoming president.
In November 2014, he canceled a scheduled performance by renowned Israeli singer Amir Benayoun following the singer’s publication of an anti-Arab song.
In July 2015, he got death threats after voicing his opposition to a firebombing attack on a Palestinian home that was suspected of being carried out by Jewish extremists. A Palestinian youngster was killed in a horrible crime.
Personal History and Legacy
He is married to Nechama Shulman and has four children with her.
Estimated Net Worth
Between 2014 through 2021, Reuven “Ruvi” Rivlin, an Israeli politician and lawyer, served as Israel’s eleventh president. He belongs to the Likud party. Rivlin served as Minister of Communications from 2001 to 2003, then as Speaker of the Knesset from 2003 to 2006, and again from 2009 to 2013. He was elected President of Israel on June 10, 2014. On July 7, 2021, his term came to an end. His estimated net worth is about $400 Million.