Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with several world leaders on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday to discuss a wide range of diplomatic, security, and economic issues.
An emphasis was placed on strengthening Israel’s global ties and deepening economic and technological cooperation, according to an Israeli Government Press Office (GPO) statement.
Herzog held meetings with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte; President of Finland Alexander Stubb; Foreign Minister of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis; and former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair.
On Tuesday, Herzog met with U.N. General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock in Davos to express concerns over the exclusion of senior Israeli officials from international forums.
“It is unacceptable that shameful international politics—repeatedly weaponized against the State of Israel—are being used by international legal forums to prevent senior Israelis from the only democracy in the Middle East from attending the World Economic Forum summit in Davos, a conference that aims to shape the future of the world and the Middle East,” said Herzog.
“Preventing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, or, for that matter, the former minister of defense, Yoav Gallant, from attending a global forum aiming to shape the future of the Middle East by such legal means is a reward for terror,” he continued.
“Those who truly want to ‘build trust’ cannot exclude those who are on the front lines of the struggle. Israel’s leaders and decision makers should be welcomed everywhere, on every stage.”
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant over their conduct in the war against Hamas in Gaza, accusing them of bearing responsibility for “the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.”
Herzog said it was imperative that the international community, particularly European nations, act swiftly to put an end to what he described as the “shameful” imposition of “illegitimate” sanctions.
Herzog noted that Israel is not only fighting to protect its own citizens but is also on the front lines defending the entire free world against the Iranian regime’s “empire of evil” and its terror proxies.
The World Economic Forum announced on Monday that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi “will not be attending Davos.”
“Although he was invited last fall, the tragic loss of lives of civilians in Iran over the past few weeks means that it is not right for the Iranian government to be represented at Davos this year,” the WEF tweeted.
Earlier Monday, Geneva-based UN Watch threatened to file a criminal complaint with Swiss authorities against Araghchi if he attended the summit.
The WEF’s 56th annual meeting began Monday and will run through Friday. Some 400 politicians—including 65 heads of state and government and six leaders from G7 nations—will participate in Davos, alongside more than 1,000 business leaders.
Herzog is leading a delegation that includes Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat and Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron.
The Israeli delegation also includes senior figures from the technology and finance sectors, including Check Point Software CEO Nadav Zafrir, entrepreneur and investor Yossi Vardi and Bank Leumi Chairman Uri Alon, as well as artist Ronen Tanchum, according to Israel Hayom.
