The gap between Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and the ultra-Orthodox sector has been growing of late. Rivlin was elected president in June 2014 with the support of the ultra-Orthodox members of the Knesset. Some voted for him in the first round, while all of them supported him in the second, decisive round. This month, however, the ultra-Orthodox share what many within the right-wing religious nationalist sector in Israel are probably feeling: Rivlin has betrayed them.

Throughout all his years in politics, Rivlin maintained the image of a traditional Jerusalemite, supportive of Orthodox Judaism and the ultra-Orthodox sector, and wholeheartedly opposed to Reform Judaism. In fact, he once called Reform Jews idol worshippers. Ever since he was elected president, however, Rivlin has slowly been stripping away this image that helped him win ultra-Orthodox supportly, greatly disappointing the ultra-Orthodox community. 

In March, Rivlin tried to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to include other parties in his coalition at the expense of the ultra-Orthodox. He even hinted that a potential coalition partner could be Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid Party, which had spearheaded a contrarian approach to the ultra-Orthodox. He later attacked the coalition agreement between the Likud and ultra-Orthodox Yahadut HaTorah, and criticized the exemption from core studies in ultra-Orthodox schools, which was eventually included in that agreement. Furthermore, the president attacked the amendment to the Enlistment Law (on exempting students of rabbinical colleges from the draft), stating acerbically, “Saying that they are ultra-Orthodox is just an excuse. Let them do civil service instead.”

Rivlin’s apparent zigzag when it comes to Reform Judaism is even more infuriating as far as the ultra-Orthodox are concerned. After opposing the Reforms Judaism openly until recently, he used his visit to the White House on Dec. 9 to participate in a Hanukkah candle lighting ceremony alongside a Reform female rabbi, who sang the traditional blessing with a contemporary feminist twist — ''Who has performed miracles for our forefathers and foremothers in those days, at this time."