Former president Reuven Rivlin said in an interview on Channel 13 with Omri Assenheim that he would not have allowed Mordechai David to enter the Knesset. Rivlin, who also previously served as speaker of the Knesset, said, “I would not have let him in. They would have been ashamed even to ask me. I would have declared him a persona non grata.”
Assenheim then joked that if Mordechai David later blocked Rivlin, he should not call him, adding, “I did not say these things, you did.” Rivlin responded with surprise and a punchy remark about his background, saying, “Do not make the mistake that because I am from Merhavia, I am also from Beitar Jerusalem.”
He added that “the western stand also needs to know how to strike back if and when it is required,” signaling support for a firm response. The exchange aired as part of the Channel 13 interview.
