At the annual state memorial for Theodor Herzl in Jerusalem on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog invoked the legacy of the Zionist visionary to address the modern-day challenges facing Israel, particularly in Gaza and on other fronts.
Herzl, who died in 1904, was once considered “insane” for envisioning a Jewish army, but in 2023, “our commanders and soldiers [...] charged ahead to dismantle Hamas and retrieve our hostages, as an unrelinquishable sacred mission, and, of course, to ensure Gaza would no longer constitute a threat to Israel,” said Netanyahu.
“Herzl stood tall—as a representative of an ancient people demanding, with moral clarity, to return to its homeland,” continued the prime minister.
“The monumental enterprise Herzl set in motion is a historical wonder by every measure. In Herzl’s time, we were not the stronger party. But today, with his vision realized, the tables have turned. Israel is a sought-after nation, and especially in recent days, a courted one,” he said.
“Herzl faced constant difficulties and disappointments, but he never gave in. He believed in the ultimate victory of Zionism—a victory to be achieved through immense willpower and unwavering commitment to the goal: restoring our control over our destiny, and returning to the land of our ancestors,” added Netanyahu.
Herzog, speaking at the same event, voiced support for the efforts of Israeli negotiators engaged in indirect talks with Hamas for the release of the 20 hostages believed to be alive in Gaza, as well as the return of 30 bodies. “I wish to voice my support for these important efforts, and I affirm: this is not only a moral imperative but a sacred responsibility,” he said.
Herzog also referenced Israel’s strikes in Syria on Wednesday, saying they were a response to atrocities committed against Druze residents, allegedly by individuals linked to the regime of Ahmed al-Sharaa. A former al-Qaeda terrorist, al-Sharaa rose to power in a coup last December.
Israel “does not stand idly by when there is even the potential for a jihadist threat over the border,” Herzog said, adding that “the sons and daughters of the Druze community—an integral part of us—are under attack and in danger of a horrific massacre.”
