With Israeli troops fighting the Hamas insurgency in Gaza, veteran Likud Knesset member, Reuven Rivlin is sworn as Israel’s 10th president, succeeding Shimon Peres. In his acceptance speech, Rivlin states, “The Jewish nation has proven its stamina. For 2,000 years we waited to return to our homeland, and today we are safely ensconced here… Today, just as before, even in a time of turbulence and pain, we refuse to abandon our cause; we do not give up the hope to build here the society we dreamed of…”