Israeli President Isaac Herzog stated that his belief in the Two-State Solution was shaken by the October 7 massacre during an interview with Fareed Zakaria at the World Economic Forum in Davos today (Tuesday).
"The two-state solution is something which, on record, I supported in the past, many times," Herzog said, saying, “But I would say that I had a wake-up call following October 7. In the sense that I want to hear my neighbors say how much they object, regret, condemn, and do not accept, in any way, the terrible tragedy of the terror attack of October 7, and the fact that it cannot be the tool to get there.”
"If we are dignified human beings, [October 7] is unacceptable under any norms," he added.
Herzog touched on the beginning of the second Trump Administration after Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States yesterday, and said that dealing with the Iranian threat will be at the top of Trump's agenda.
“Iran will be a main issue on his agenda in the very near future, and it will have to be deliberated," Herzog stated. “Iran cannot have nuclear capabilities, and has to stop with its proxies and axis of evil."
He said that Iran is "rushing" and "working day and night" to build nuclear weapons.
Addressing the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which is supposed to have three phases, Herzog said, "I believe that there is a clear potential of getting to the second stage. There is a desire, and we meant it when we signed the agreement."
He added that there is "potential" that the deal will last through the third phase.
The President noted the disparity between the release of 33 civilians, women, and children while Israel releases over a thousand terrorists and murderers. “This is the whole equation: We are asking to release women and children, and for that we are paying with terrorists, barbaric terrorists.”