His Father, Chaim Herzog, was Israel’s 6th President
JERUSALEM (Press Release) –Isaac Herzog, former Minister, Chairman of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition, was elected by the Knesset (parliament) to serve as Israel’s 11th President. Herzog currently serves as the Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel. Herzog was elected with the support of 87 out of the 120 Members of Knesset and his tenure will begin on July 9th.
President-elect Herzog noted: “For over two decades I have fulfilled the mission of my life, to serve my people and my country with love, dedication and professionalism. I have studied Israeli society throughout, becoming closely acquainted with the diversity and uniqueness of the Israeli mosaic; a rare and unique blend, which combines not only members of all faiths, groups and religions, but the great treasures we appreciate together: spiritual richness, cultural depth, critical thought, tradition and renewal. There is not a single stone in our beautiful mosaic that I would be willing or dare to give up.
“That is why I intend to be the president of all Israelis, to lend an attentive ear to every position and respect every person. To join the connecting lines and build bridges of consensus, in order to bring in even the most distant amongst us, as well as our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora. To empower and nurture our creativity, innovative spirit and originality; to fulfil our goals of unity and mutual responsibility. To foster a common identity of belonging that we so desperately need in our journey to become an ideal society, making room for free spirits, creators and dreamers. To fill Israel with hope.
“Our challenges are many and should not be taken lightly. We must heal the wounds that have opened up in our society, and defend Israel’s international status and good name in the family of nations. We must fight anti-Semitism and the hatred of Israel, and maintain the pillars of our democracy, so that we rise to the magnitude of the moment. Out of the dark and into the light. This is our essence, our pioneering spirit, and the commitment of every Israeli.
“I bring with me to this journey all my energy, experience and ability. The historical commitment of my family for generations to the state and people of Israel.
“I also bring with me a wonderful and one-of-a-kind partner – my beloved wife Michal, without whom it would not have happened, without her endless support and commitment, and without her being there by my side, always, alongside our beloved sons Noam, Matan and Roi.”
Herzog, known by his nickname “Bougie,” holds a rich record of public service. He was a Member of Knesset from 2003 to 2018, and has served as Minister of Welfare & Social Services, Minister of Construction & Housing, Minister of Tourism and Minister of the Diaspora. He has also served as a member of the security cabinet and was tasked with coordinating humanitarian assistance with the Gaza Strip. Herzog then went on to serve as Leader of the Opposition, before taking on his current role as Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel. Since Herzog took on his current role, about 80,000 new immigrants have immigrated to Israel, including during the year of COVID-19.
Herzog is highly regarded for his professional performance in all the executive positions he has held and is especially renowned for his tenure as Minister of Welfare and Social Services.
He is widely accepted among Jewish communities in the Diaspora, in rabbinical circles across the various streams of Judaism, as well as amongst other community lay leaders – not to mention among Israel’s many different societal and religious leaders.
As a big believer in consensus building, Herzog’s support cuts across partisan lines. He has worked to develop relationships and build bridges across the rich tapestry of Israeli society, identifying commonalities that bring people together.
Herzog was born on September 22, 1960. He attended the religious Zeitlin High School in Tel Aviv, and, after moving to New York in the summer of 1975 on account of his family’s shlichut (official representation abroad), he continued his education at the Jewish Ramaz School. This was also when Herzog contended in his first election, winning the race to head the school’s student council.
Herzog served in the IDF’s 8200 Intelligence Unit, where he obtained the rank of major and worked in the Sinai Peninsula and in Judea and Samaria. It was during his military service that he met Michal Afek, who he married in a modest ceremony at their family’s home. Michal Herzog is an attorney and mediator who has been engaged in social initiatives for many years. Isaac and Michal have three sons.
Herzog is a lawyer by profession, who graduated from Tel Aviv University’s LL.B. program, and pursued additional academic studies at Cornell University and New York Universities.
He has published two books focusing on society and economics: How to Get Out of This: Economic and Social Solutions in a Recession (Teper, 2004) and Working Plan: A Recipe for Social Welfare (Teper, 2010).
The Herzog family tree has roots in Ireland and Egypt, though Herzog has family ties all the way back to the Spanish expulsion on one side and Poland on the other. His childhood home served not only as an inspiration, but as practical training for a career in public service.
Herzog’s grandfather, the late Rabbi Yitzhak “Isaac” HaLevi Herzog, was the first Chief Rabbi of the State of Israel and the author of the Prayer for the Welfare of the State of Israel. Following the publication of the British White Paper of 1939, Rabbi Herzog tore it up in protest during a speech he delivered in Jerusalem. During the Holocaust, he embarked on trips to save Jews, and as the Chief Rabbi of Mandatory Palestine, he met with President Franklin D. Roosevelt to demand that he save the Jews and bomb the Nazi concentration camps. He worked with Jewish children who had been sent to monasteries or Christian families during World War II to save their lives, striving to return them to the Jewish faith. He brought 500 of these children, known as the Sh’erit ha-Pletah (surviving remnant), to the Land of Israel on board a train which came to be known as the Herzog Train.
Herzog’s grandmother, the late Sarah Herzog, who later became one of the founders of the Emunah movement, cared for orphans and instilled in her grandson a love for people and the importance of helping the weak in society when she founded the Herzog Psychiatric-Geriatric Hospital in Jerusalem.
Herzog’s father, the late Chaim Herzog, was an officer in the British Army who participated in the Normandy invasion and the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. A yeshiva student who became a fighter in the Haganah, Chaim Herzog went on to become an IDF major general, a national commentator and calming presence during the Six Day War, a lawyer who established a thriving law firm, and Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations. While serving as UN Ambassador, his speech against the UN resolution that compared Zionism to racism stunned the United Nations General Assembly and was selected as one of the 50 most important speeches in history. He went on to serve as the sixth President of the State of Israel. As President, ChaimHerzog led a change in attitude toward Israel’s Arab citizens by declaring: “I am the President of the entire nation.”
Herzog’s mother, Ora Herzog, was born in Ismailia, Egypt. A participant in the first year of The Jewish Agency’s diplomacy school, Ora Herzog was seriously injured in the first suicide bombing in Israel, which targeted the National Institutions Building in Jerusalem. She was saved by Chaim Herzog, who pulled her from the rubble. Ora Herzog is the founder of the Bible Quiz and is the founder of the Council for a Beautiful Israel, which was her life’s work.
Herzog’s uncle, the late Abba Eban, who was nicknamed “Israel’s No. 1 diplomat, “was the legendary Minister of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador of the young State of Israel to the United Nations and the United States. Herzog’s other uncle, the late Dr. Yaakov Herzog, was a brilliant diplomat who served as the Director-General of the Prime Minister’s Office.
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Preceding provided by the office of President-elect Isaac Herzog
The Israel-American Council issued the following statement:
The Israeli-American Council (IAC) congratulates Mr. Isaac Herzog on being elected as the next president of the State of Israel.
President-elect Herzog will build on his experience working with Global Jewry and the Israeli-American community to strengthen their bonds with the State of Israel, and deepen the connection between the people of the U.S. and the people of Israel.
The Orthodox Union issued this comment:
Today, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (Orthodox Union), the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization, congratulates Isaac “Buji” Herzog upon his election as Israel’s 11th president, succeeding Reuven Rivlin when his term ends next month. The president-elect won the position in an overwhelming Knesset vote of 87-27 against contender Miriam Peretz, a greatly admired educator and social activist.
Mr. Herzog, a member of Israel’s Knesset for 15 years and head of its Labor Party before becoming the top official at the Jewish Agency for Israel, comes from a highly respected dynasty of religious, political and military officials: he is the grandson of Israel’s first chief Ashkenazi rabbi, Isaac Herzog, for whom he was named; the son of Israel’s sixth president, Chaim Herzog, who was also Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations and served as an IDF major general; the brother of retired IDF brigadier general Michael; and the nephew of former foreign minister Abba Eban’s wife, Suzy.
The president-elect is also an alumnus of Manhattan’s Modern Orthodox Ramaz School, which he attended in the late 1970s. As Israel’s president, Mr. Herzog will take on the role of head of state and play a key role in addressing relations between the Jewish state and American Jewry and other diaspora communities.
Said Orthodox Union President Mark (Moishe) Bane:
“We send our wholehearted congratulations to President-elect Herzog and wish him the very best as he assumes this new and important role in helping to shape Israel’s political landscape and guiding the nation into the future. Throughout his many years of service in the Knesset, to Israel and in the Jewish Agency, Mr. Herzog has become known for his respectful, soft-spoken manner and for eschewing partisan rancor and feuding.”
Said Orthodox Union Executive Vice President Rabbi Moshe Hauer:
“The Orthodox Union is heavily invested in cultivating deep relationships between American Jews and Medinat Israel — through our OU Israel Center in Jerusalem, NCSY Summer Programs, Birthright and more. We at the Orthodox Union look forward to working with President-elect Herzog on this essential agenda for the Jewish People.”
The Jewish Agency for Israel issued this comment:
The Jewish Agency for Israel is proud to congratulate its Chairman of the Executive Isaac Herzog on being elected the 11th President of Israel.
Throughout his career, and over the past three years as The Jewish Agency’s Chairman, Herzog has displayed an extraordinary commitment to Israel and World Jewry. President-elect Herzog put forward tremendous efforts toward fostering unity among the Jewish people, bolstering the security and well-being of Jewish communities around the world and leading the global fight against antisemitism. He also worked to fortify Israeli society and inspired countless Jews to fulfill the dream of Aliyah (immigration to Israel). The Jewish Agency’s leadership anticipates Herzog will continue working with tireless dedication to strengthen the State of Israel and its deep connection to the Jewish people worldwide.
“It is with great pride that I congratulate the next President of Israel, our Chairman of the Executive Isaac Herzog. His unwavering dedication to the Jewish people and to serving the State of Israel is an inspiration, and we will all undoubtedly continue to benefit from his leadership,” said Michael Siegal, The Jewish Agency’s Chairman of the Board of Governors.
“The Jewish Agency, as well as Jewish communities around the world, are proud and grateful to Mr. Herzog for leading our organization to new heights,” said Amira Ahronoviz, The Jewish Agency’s Director General and CEO. “I am confident that his deep commitment to strengthening and unifying the Jewish people will continue guiding him in his new position as President of the State of Israel.”
The Combat Antisemitism Movement issued this comment:
The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) welcomed Isaac Herzog’s election today by the Knesset as the eleventh President of the State of Israel. Herzog is a CAM Advisory Board member and a frequent participant in CAM events.
During decades of public service, as a parliamentarian, government minister, Leader of the Opposition and in his current role as Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel, Herzog has resolutely dedicated himself to the welfare of the Jewish People and has been a powerful public voice in the fight against antisemitism, hatred and discrimination.
Sacha Roytman-Dratwa, The Combat Antisemitism Movement Director : “On behalf of the Combat Antisemitism Movement, I warmly congratulate our friend Isaac Herzog on his election as Israel’s President. Not only is he a long-standing friend and advisor to CAM, but for many years he has been one of the strongest and most powerful advocates for the Jewish People and against antisemitism globally. No doubt, he will continue to proudly advocate for Jewish rights and wider tolerance as President. He will no doubt represent Israel and the Jewish People as a whole with great distinction during his term as Israel’s President.”
The Combat Antisemitism Movement is a non-partisan, global grassroots movement of individuals and organizations, across all religions and faiths, united around the goal of ending antisemitism in all its forms. Since its launch in February 2019, 330 organizations and 340,000 individuals have joined the Combat Antisemitism Movement by signing the campaign’s pledge. The CAM Pledge draws upon the IHRA working definition of antisemitism and its list of specific behaviors used to discriminate against the Jewish people and the Jewish State of Israel.
UJA Federation of New York CEO Eric S. Goldstein issued this comment:
“I’m delighted to congratulate Isaac ‘Bougie’ Herzog on being elected the 11th President of the State of Israel,” said Eric S. Goldstein, CEO of UJA-Federation of New York. “Bougie is a dear friend and an honorary New Yorker. Since his time as a student at a Jewish day school in Manhattan, he has maintained deep connections to New York, home to the largest Jewish community outside Israel. With his years of experience in Knesset and profound understanding of global Jewry, Bougie is uniquely positioned to fulfill his role as president of the State of Israel, and more broadly as convener of the entire Jewish people. As world Jewry faces ever growing challenges, I have no doubt that Bougie will work and succeed in building stronger bridges between all members of the Jewish community. We look forward to working together with President Herzog in helping to ensure a brighter, more connected future for Israel and the entire Jewish people.”
The American Jewish Congress had this comment:
American Jewish Congress Congratulates Israel’s President-elect Isaac Herzog
The American Jewish Congress warmly congratulates Mr. Isaac Herzog upon his election as the 11th President of the State of Israel. President-elect Herzog and his family, particularly his father, former President Chaim Herzog, have greatly contributed to Israel’s advancement and progress. Mr. Herzog is an outstanding leader who will ably serve the State of Israel.
A long-time friend of our organization, President-elect Herzog is positioned like no other leader to lead a highly diverse Israeli society and serve as a truly unifying figure. A committed public servant with vast institutional experience, Mr. Herzog has served the State of Israel in different capacities and roles along the years, including as a legislator in the Israeli Knesset, as leader of various Government Ministries, and most recently as Chairman of the Jewish Agency.
We would like to thank outgoing President Reuven Rivlin for his service and leadership. During his mandate, President Rivlin was able to navigate the challenging international situation for Israel, as well as its complex internal political environment. He proved to be deeply committed to the U.S.-Israel relationship and to furthering Israel’s ties with the global Jewish diaspora.
In these trying times, the American Jewish Congress stands firmly with Israel. We look forward to working with President-elect Herzog in the days ahead.
The Jewish People Policy Institute issued the following comment:
The President of the Jewish People Policy Institute, Professor Yedidia Stern, congratulates Isaac (“Bougie”) Herzog on his election to the distinguished office of President of the State of Israel. Mr. Herzog is singularly well suited for the two main tasks currently facing the State of Israel and the Jewish people: promoting cohesion between the different sectors of Israeli society and strengthening the relationship between Israel and the Jewish communities of the Diaspora.
The trajectory of Herzog’s personal life and public service career; the legacy of his father, Israel’s sixth President, and of his grandfather, a Chief Rabbi of Israel; and Herzog’s own most recent position as Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel – all have prepared him for the unifying leadership role that he has been chosen to fill. By virtue of his warm heart and winning personality, Herzog will bring the President’s House the talent and gravitas necessary to the work of healing the rifts within our society.
The JPPI family, and Co-Chairs Amb. Dennis Ross and Amb. Stuart Eizenstat, embrace the president-elect – his success is our success.