Isaac Herzog, Israel’s 11th head of state and the fourth of Israel’s presidents to be born in the Land of Israel, is the first to have been born in the State of Israel following its establishment. He is also a second-generation president in that his father, Chaim Herzog, was Israel’s sixth president.
Though careful in what he says in terms of refraining from vulgar speech, Herzog does not hesitate to voice his opposition to government policies and decisions.
He spoke out loud and clear against the judicial reform in the manner that it was presented; since day one, he has consistently called for the immediate release of hostages and has championed their families, for whom he has always made time, as well as for hostages who have been freed.
He has been to Hostage Square and some of the sites of devastation wrought by Hamas, has attended funerals of murdered hostages, and paid condolence calls to their families. He has denounced efforts to oust Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara and has initiated projects to make opposing factions within the Knesset and the public more courteous and respectful of each other. The presidency is not a 9 to 5 job, nor is it a five days a week job.
Herzog often receives delegations as early as 8 a.m., and he frequently burns the midnight oil for meetings with visiting foreign dignitaries or high-ranking officers from Israel’s security network. Though greatly appreciated by large segments of the public, he receives minimal media attention.
The most dedicated of Israel's presidents
Herzog is arguably the most dedicated and hard-working of all of Israel’s presidents, particularly in the field of public diplomacy. Hardly a day goes by without him calling several world leaders to explain Israel’s case. He also does his homework and knows exactly what to discuss with his interlocutors, but he can seldom resist introducing one or more members of his multi-generation illustrious family into the conversation.
These conversations become somewhat less cordial when a large sector of the world speaks out against Israel’s actions in Gaza; Herzog rises to the defense of the IDF. He has lost popularity amongst those Israelis calling for a ceasefire and an end to the war and is given a cold reception by several world leaders whom he regarded as friends.
A former chairman of the Jewish Agency, which works largely with Diaspora Jewish communities, Herzog as president continues to believe that he has as much a duty to Jews around the globe as to the Israeli population. In almost all their overseas travels, the president and the prime minister of Israel meet with the local Jewish community, or at the very least with its top leaders.
But when Herzog went to Britain less than two weeks before Rosh Hashanah, it was more than a duty. It was an open act of solidarity with the British Jewish community, which has recorded the largest ever number of antisemitic incidents since October 7, 2023. Combating antisemitism is a recurrent theme in Herzog’s speeches at home and abroad, as are the fight against terrorism and preventing Iran from developing nuclear power, but most of all, bringing home the hostages still languishing in Gaza.