Understanding the new president of Israel, Reuven (“Ruby”) Rivlin—his motives and beliefs, how he contrasts with outgoing President Shimon Peres, and what role he is likely to play during his seven-year term—requires some knowledge of history and Zionist ideology. Rivlin is both a hard-line hawk on the “Greater Land of Israel,” that is, the ideology that holds that Israel should control all land west of the Jordan River (and even perhaps to the east), and a stalwart defender of civil and human rights—two positions usually held by people and parties at opposite ends of the political spectrum. Rivlin’s and his family’s history help to explain how he reconciles these views.