President Isaac Herzog sent a message to Jewish communities around the world today (Wednesday), as Israel continues to face the ongoing threat of imminent attack from the Iranian regime and its terrorist proxies across the region.
In his message, President Herzog spoke of the importance of the resilience of the Israeli people, of the great capabilities of the defense and security services, and of the centrality of the steadfast alliance with Israel’s allies – especially, the United States of America.
The President said that the Israeli people and Jewish communities shared in the tensions and anxieties surrounding the threats of today, and noted that the concern and care between Israel and Jews around the world was mutual and deep.
Herzog began, “Dear Jewish sisters and brothers from around the world, these are difficult moments for the State of Israel and the Jewish people. These very days, we mark 10 months since the brutal massacre of October 7. It coincides with another heartbreaking moment in time, the fifth anniversary of Ariel Bibas, the little red-headed boy from Kibbutz Nir Oz who was abducted from his home by Hamas terrorists on that dark day, along with his mother, Shiri, his father, Yarden, and his baby brother, Kfir."
He continued, “At the same time, our enemies, poisoned by hatred, blinded by radicalism and antisemitism, have vowed to attack us again. We all feel the tension, the anxiety, and the vulnerability of these moments. These feelings are natural. But my friends, rest assured. I want to state clearly, we have the capacity to confront our enemies and to defeat them. The State of Israel is blessed with many resources, most importantly incredible human resources. We have an excellent and highly motivated military, air force, intelligence services, and others. We have advanced air-defense systems. We have strong and enduring alliances that are committed to protecting not only Israel but the rules-based world order we are fighting for, and we are so grateful to them – especially to our closest ally and friend, the United States of America, which is leading the coalition actively defending the values of life and liberty."
“But beyond all of that, we carry another most precious resource, the remarkable resilience of our people. A resilience which is rooted in the deep sense of connection and shared destiny that we have shared all across the ages. It is what has enabled us to get back up and rebuild after even the worst tragedies, and it is what we lean into right now," Herzog said. “I want to say to our sisters and brothers everywhere that the depth of our connection and our caring is mutual. We in Israel also see the anxieties, concerns and vulnerability of Jewish communities around the world. And just as you carry us in your hearts, we carry you in our hearts too.
“Dear friends, Am Yisrael Chai,” Herzog concluded.