President Isaac Herzog gave a statement to the public today (Wednesday), calling on the Israeli government to approve the hostage deal and see it through to the end to ensure the release of everyone being held hostage.
He also called for everyone to understand and embrace both those who support and those who fear the consequences of the deal.
Here is the statement in full:
My sisters and brothers, citizens of Israel. We are in most fateful hours. For many hundreds of days, our sisters and brothers have been held and tortured by cursed murderers, after the State of Israel failed to fulfill its duty and the most basic covenant between a state and its citizens – when it did not protect them and prevent their kidnapping. Now we have a duty – to take a step toward making amends.
I strengthen the hands of the Prime Minister and the negotiating team in their efforts to bring about a deal, and I call on my fellow Cabinet members and the Israeli government – to accept and approve the deal when it is brought before them; and to bring our daughters and sons home. As President of the State of Israel, I say in the clearest way: this is the right move. It is an important move. It is a necessary move. There is no greater moral, human, Jewish, and Israeli duty than to bring back our daughters and sons. Some to rehabilitation and home, and some to proper rest.
I remembered today with shivers the moving image of 4-year-old Abigail Idan, orphaned from her father and mother, released from captivity. I remembered how an entire nation skipped a beat when they saw little Abigail returning. A soul in Israel that was saved. An entire world. A whole nation embraced her and the released hostages, in that beautiful and painful hour. A whole nation cried with them, was moved with them, united with them. United because of them. We all yearn for the return of our sisters and brothers. Of all our sisters and brothers.
There are no illusions here. This deal – when approved and implemented – will bring with it very difficult, tormenting, and tumultuous moments. It will also bring with it very difficult challenges. This is not a simple situation. This is one of the most difficult challenges we have known. I respect and am attentive to the fears and deep pain that this deal brings with it. I understand them completely – especially after the great trauma of past deals and October 7th. It is clear to us all that we will need to use all security and diplomatic tools and firmly stand on our security interests - that will protect all residents of Israel.
I believe with all my heart that this is the moment of truth, that we must trust in our people, and in our strength to overcome any future challenge that comes. We are much stronger than we imagine ourselves to be! The decision should be clear and unequivocal – we save them. We release them. We bring them home. Urgently. Until the last one of them.
Our soldiers have been fighting with supreme heroism on the front for over a year. Many of them fight with pictures of the hostages in their vests. With the names of the hostages engraved on their hearts. Many have fallen for this sacred mission. At a painful blood price, with enormous security, diplomatic, and social efforts – we have created for ourselves an hour of favor. We must realize it. There is an open and bleeding wound in our nation that cannot heal until all our sisters and brothers return to their homeland. For every day, every hour, we all cry out for their release, yearn for their release, tear open the gates of heaven in prayer for their release.
I believe with all my heart that this will make us a stronger, better, more united people. I have no doubt that the return of the female and male hostages will make an existential contribution to our national and social resilience, to the people's trust in the state, so that we can look in the mirror and see our most basic values: mutual responsibility, unity, understanding that whoever saves one soul – whoever saves one soul! – is as if they saved an entire world.
For the hostages' families, these hours and days are hell on earth. I call on all of us to show enormous sensitivity toward all the hostages' families - including the families who are pained by this deal. I want to especially embrace the worried and hurting families who fear their loved ones won't return in the first stage of the deal. I stand here today, as President of the State of Israel, and commit: we will continue to act with all our might until all stages of the deal, after it is approved, are implemented and the last hostage returns. We will not rest or be quiet until all the daughters and sons return to their border.
I thank those engaged in this important work, the Prime Minister and the Israeli team who made enormous efforts, the mediators – the United States, Qatar and Egypt – and all the factors promoting the release of the female and male hostages. Special thanks to U.S. President Joe Biden and his administration, and of course to incoming U.S. President Donald Trump and his people. I know that the issue of the hostages and the security of the State of Israel and its citizens remain constantly before President Trump's and the incoming administration's eyes. I thank him for this and wish him much success as he enters his role.
My sisters and brothers, within all the pain and worry, I am also full of hope and faith, that when this hour comes – in which with God's help the words of the prophet will be fulfilled: "And the redeemed of the Lord shall return" – this will be our beautiful hour. An hour of favor for our people. An hour of national responsibility, of fulfilling our supreme duty as a people. An hour from which – we will continue to rehabilitate, heal, repair and build – together – our shared Israeli building of us all.
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