Herzog Discusses Israel’s Future in Eizenstat Lecture

An energetic and determined Isaac Herzog greeted Stuart Eizenstat who moderated the 35th annual Eizenstat Lecture series at Ahavath Achim Synagogue. The program featured Herzog. the President of Israel and was presented online in a split-screen format, early last month.

The conversation was held just after a shocking attack on Israeli soccer fans after a match in Amsterdam. It was also just a few days after the 86th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the murderous attack by the Nazi government of Germany against the Jewish community and its institutions there. But Herzog, who was head of the Jewish Agency and a representative of Israel to the world’s Jewish community, spoke of the country’s strength today and its willingness to stand up for Jews everywhere who are under attack.

“As opposed to previous eras where we went through dark days, we are now strong. We are capable. We have the tools in a democracy such as the United States, which is the strongest in the world. You can fight back. You can fight legally. You can fight through your elected officials. You can raise your opinions. You can unite and work hard. And Israel definitely sees it as a top priority to defend all Jews around the world.”

Israel’s success against Hezbollah won praise from President Isaac Herzog.

But it was Israel’s response to the attack on its own people on Oct. 7, 2023, that was Herzog’s greatest prize. How the nation has responded to the largest loss of Jewish lives since the Holocaust was what impressed Herzog most.

“The nation, at first, was in utter trauma and shock. Now it’s shown immense resilience. It’s rose up like a lion, as the Bible says.”

Herzog’s comments came before the ceasefire that took effect on Nov. 27 and the recent sudden collapse of the government of Hafiz al-Assad in Syria. That regime, a father-and-son dynasty that ruled the country for 54 years, was a dramatic turn of events that could bring significant changes for Israel and the Middle East.

Israel’s successful campaign over the last year against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon may be paying dividends in the campaign to diminish the influence of Iran in the region.

In the first hours after the fall of Damascus to Syrian rebels, the Iranian Embassy there was ransacked by a violent mob, which reportedly climbed the fence around the building and tore down large images of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, who was recently assassinated by Israel. His support with both men and weapons for the Syrian government, along with Russian air attacks, was largely credited with keeping the Assad regime in power.

Israel’s successful campaign against Hezbollah’s infrastructure and its military capabilities left Assad’s corrupt and demoralized army suddenly weakened to the renewed offensive of the rebels. Their success is generally seen as a blow to Iran’s once formidable network of regional allies that was structured around proxies like Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Significantly, the mobs that reportedly attacked the Iranian embassy also destroyed the portraits of Iran’s top general, Qassim Suleimani, who was killed in an American air strike in Syria, where he was commanding an Iranian force in support of Assad.

In his conversation with Eizenstat, President Herzog saw the possibility of new hope in creating a Middle East that is not being held hostage by Iran and its allies.

“I think that we can get back on track now, after we’ve overcome the mass challenges by the empire of evil, of Tehran and its proxies, its main proxies, Hezbollah and Hamas. It’s not over yet, but clearly, the picture is clear that we are getting there. I would say that the day after should include inclusion of Israel in the region in a very robust way.”

Despite its recent successes against challenges from outside Israel, the president remains very concerned about the political situation within the country.

“We also have major internal challenges. We have many, many debates and strives within our society, like any ordinary, normal democracy. But unfortunately, and I’ve been putting a lot of weight on that in my agenda, is to prevent a strife within our society that weakens us.”

Just last Sunday, Dec. 8, Herzog reportedly spoke of his deep concern over the new laws the Knesset was considering, that, he believes, could adversely affect Israel political institutions.

“This wave of legislation touches our democratic foundations — from the courts, to the judicial system, to law enforcement, to civil rights in elections and, in general, to the independence of the media, academia, and so on,” he told an audience in Southern Israel, “and the truth is that I am very concerned about what has been happening to us recently.”