President Isaac Herzog on Monday addressed the Jewish Federations of North America’s 2024 General Assembly taking place in Washington, DC.
In his remarks, Herzog congratulated President-elect Donald Trump on his election victory last week, describing him as a “champion of peace and cooperation”.
“We spoke of the urgent need to bring our hostages back home, President Trump reiterated his love for Israel,” said Herzog, noting a conversation he had several days ago with the President-elect.
He also thanked President Joe Biden for his “steadfast support from the very beginning of the war”, describing Biden as his “dear friend.”
Herzog said he looks forward to meeting with Biden at the White House on Tuesday, and to thanking him "on behalf of the state and people of Israel."
Commenting on the attack on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam on Thursday night, Herzog said, “The civilized world cannot tolerate a mob seeking out Jews, and we will not allow this to be normalized.”
Speaking of the “startling wave of antisemitism” which is “flooding the United States and the Jewish world”, he expressed concern for Diaspora Jewry as the President of the Jewish nation-state, calling antisemitism a “struggle which we share and a challenge we face together.”
“For many years now we have seen the engine behind the modern-day antisemitism: The Iranian regime and its allies. It is truly an empire of evil, spreading hatred through its numerous proxies, social networks and agents all over the globe,” Herzog stated.