The President of Israel, Reuven Rivlin today (Monday) hosted Liberian leader, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at his resident.
The Liberian leader, according to the Israel national news online is in Israel in order to receive an honorary doctorate degree from Haifa University.
President Rivlin welcomed President Sirleaf and her delegation by saying, “As a leader of your country, and as a Nobel Peace Prize winner, you are a symbol and it is a great honor for us to welcome you, knowing what you have done not only for your people, but for the whole world. We face similar challenges, and we are looking to the future. Israel is working to try and bring to an end the tragedy, the conflict, with the Palestinians. We have to respect the idea that they are here, and they have to respect the idea that the Jewish people have returned back to our homeland, and this is difficult because there is no confidence between the communities.”
President Sirleaf responded: “Thank you for the warm courtesy we have received. I visited Israel in 2007, and today I have returned to help strengthen, and rejuvenate the partnership between our two countries which has existed for many years, going back to Israel’s independence. Since that time, we have had collaborative work together in partnership. Liberia has benefited from Israel’s experience in our development goals. This partnership was held up during our conflict, but I am pleased that since I came to office in 2006, we started again, and we have benefited from exchanges and cooperation.”
