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Herzog to JNS: Jewish unity, resilience critical during Iran war

The president says Jews must be “vigilant and cautious” as Iran targets both Israel and Jewish communities worldwide.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog speaks to reporters in Ramla on March 4, 2026, about the ongoing war with Iran and its proxies. Photo by Amelie Botbol/JNS.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog speaks to reporters in Ramla on March 4, 2026, about the ongoing war with Iran and its proxies. Photo by Amelie Botbol/JNS.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday called on Jewish communities worldwide to remain “vigilant and cautious” as Israel continues its war with the Iranian regime and its regional terror proxies.

“We’re very much aware both of the support and the challenges of the Jewish communities and the Jewish world at large,” Herzog told JNS during a visit to the National Operations Center of Magen David Adom in Ramla.

“In these trying times, where there is war here, where we are in the shelters, we know that Iran doesn’t rest only on the fact that it’s attacking Israelis,” he said. “It’s also seeking for generations already to attack Jews around the world.”

Herzog added that despite the danger, the Jewish people “will always be as strong as ever,” citing the resilience found in Jewish history and tradition.

“The lessons of Purim and other Jewish traditions are that we never give up and we will grow from strength to strength,” he told JNS.

In remarks to the media at the end of the visit, he said that the war against Iran was at “a critical juncture,” adding that the U.S. and Israel had already achieved a great deal.

“It is important to say that nothing yields an immediate result. You see the results as they move on, and the results are very apparent,” he said. “The real results are that we are removing and mitigating the number of missile launchers and capabilities against Israel and the entire region.”

Herzog on Sunday accused the Iranian regime of threatening global peace following overnight attacks on Tel Aviv, saying Jerusalem and its allies are acting together against Tehran.

“The Iranian regime is a clear and imminent threat to world peace,” Herzog wrote on X, adding that Iranian missiles and drones “are taking the lives of innocent civilians across the Middle East.”

He spoke after visiting the site of the Tel Aviv strike and during an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash. A woman was killed and more than 20 people were hurt when Iranian missiles slammed into a residential block in the coastal city.

On Monday, Herzog visited the site in Beit Shemesh that an Iranian missile hit a day earlier, killing nine people and wounding more than two dozen others.

Originally from Casablanca, Morocco, Amelie made aliyah in 2014. She specializes in diplomatic affairs and geopolitical analysis and serves as a war correspondent for JNS. She has covered major international developments, including extensive reporting on the hostage crisis in Israel.
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