At the beginning of their remarks, the President and the Commissioner spoke in disappointment at the low turnout of the Arab mayors and local authority heads. The President stressed, “This meeting was planned at the request of many citizens of the State of Israel, to discuss the State's responsibility for the welfare of every citizen. We asked to meet with those responsible for public safety in order to discuss and consider their abilities, and the need for cooperation. I am very sorry that many of the council heads who wished to arrive did not come due to various pressures. It is a shame, because we are destined to live together and we have to find a way to promote this understanding inside all of us.”

 The Police Commissioner also began by saying, “I am optimistic, even if there are those who chose to panic. You cannot have a normal life without policing, we all need policing. That's why I'm optimistic and I'm sure we'll bring results.”

 President Rivlin went on to say, “We are meeting during tense times between Arabs and Jews in this country, and in these days of tension and crisis, leadership is put to the test. I must say that after the murderous attack on the Temple Mount, in which Israeli citizens murdered two policemen and hurt all of us, Arabs, Druze and Jews alike, I expected a clear and sharp condemnation from the leaders of the Arab community in Israel. There were just a few who made a clear and outright condemnation, and unfortunately, I was disappointed.”

He continued, “At times such as these, when extremist forces are raising their heads, we are reminded how easy it is to destroy, and to inflame the situation on the ground. At such moments we do not have the privilege to be entrenched out of a sense of the justness of this side or the other, we must be wise. We must join hands. We must demonstrate what leadership means. Our shared lives here, Jews and Arabs – this is not a question, it is a fact. Whether we want it or not, whether we will live in peace or in conflict, we will live here together. Recognition of this basic fact should guide our actions and our choices, always, Jews and Arabs alike, even in difficult moments. Just as in difficult moments in Kafr Qasem, and in Umm al-Hiran, I found a sincere and courageous willingness on the part of you, the heads of the local authorities, the leaders of the Arab public and the Police Commissioner, to cooperate extensively for the sake of the Arab citizens of Israel. This willingness is what brings us today to consider the subject at hand. Our meeting is devoted entirely to the efforts to improve the personal sense of security of the Arab citizens, to join hands in the struggle against rampant violence in Arab communities. There is a great deal of work that has already been undertaken by the Police, people are listening, there are mistakes that are being investigated in order to improve. We are meeting to hear about this important work, but mainly to think together how we can move forward one step further.”

The President added, “Each side will have to carry its responsibility, and reach out to the other side. The task also requires the participation of other government ministries, especially the Ministry of Education, in order to address the challenge of creating recreational activities and community centers for young people who otherwise find their way to crime instead. I hope that the meeting today, will advance us with another, practical step forward.”

Police Commissioner Alsheikh said, “I want to thank the President of Israel, whose house is always open and serves all the needs of Israeli society, and all the heads of the local authorities who came to this important meeting. I am optimistic, even if there are those who chose to panic and not to come to this meeting. I believe in human nature, and in particular it is a clear interest for us and all Arab community as a whole. Anyone who wants to be re-elected should move forward with us. The Jewish citizen, the Arab citizen and the policemen themselves. It's in the interest of us all.”

He continued, “I have no doubt that the process we are promoting will lead to results on the ground. As we always explain to everyone, the police has two hats. The first hat is a hat of enforcement and fighting crime. The second, which is the main function of the police, is to protect. It has to do with the welfare, education and many other fields that the police share in all parts of the country. We are in kindergartens, in schools, with youth and everywhere we can eventually reduce the cycle of delinquency, and strengthen those who abide by the law. That is why we need partnership, and I believe that in the end everyone will be our partners because we come with open arms that want to improve the life and security of the Arab citizen.” 

He added, “Much of the violence is directed against Arab society. So who does not want to deal with it? Certainly the Arab citizens want to deal with this. We see that the young people vote with their feet and want a normal life. I told the Knesset Interior Committee about a young Muslim, religious, woman who came to a police training class, and asked to be photographed with me in order to upload the picture to Facebook, to convey a message to young Arabs that this should be the case. It is part of the sense of security, that there are local policemen walking around in uniform, conveying a message that the police are needed and are there to protect the citizens. In the end we have to open the door to everyone and feel that the police belongs to everyone; the entire society in all its diversity and shades. Every citizen in Israel should feel that the police are there for him. It's a big challenge but I'm optimistic. Therefore, with this optimism, we will build together the joint team that will work to strengthen abidance to the law, in joint projects that can be done with the authorities, and I have no doubt that together with the mayors who arrived here today, we will continue, and we will succeed.”

Chairman of the Forum of Arab Mayors, Mazen Ganim, opened his remarks with thanks to the President and said, “I would like to thank you for all your endeavors. You prove that this house belongs to all of us, Jews and Arabs.”

He also thanked the Commissioner for promoting the meeting and joint action. Ganim said. “The Arab community was not born a violent society. The circumstances brought us to this. The Israeli Police proved that it can weed out all the crime families, and I want to say that all the crime families in Jewish communities have flocked to Arab communities.” He added, “Since 2000, 1,200 Arab residents have been killed with illegal weapons,” and stressed, “Dear friends, fellow council heads, there is a responsibility on everyone, there are undoubtedly many obstacles and you can help us overcome the obstacles through employment and the economy.”