"We are Jewish!" Isaac Herzog calls for Jewish unity at antisemitism conference

President Isaac Herzog hosted Jewish leaders and friends of Israel from around the world at the President’s Residence as part of Antisemitism Awareness Week today (Wednesday).

During the event, a panel was held with several heads of Jewish communities, who shared their difficult experiences over the past year. Speakers included Natan Sharansky and including CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, William Daroff.

In his own speech, President Herzog called for collective action against antisemitism and emphasized the critical importance of Jewish unity in the face of unprecedented challenges, which have never been felt as clearly and profoundly as the need to bring the hostages home:

“Jewish unity is not just an idea—it is a living, breathing force. We feel it most deeply when we stand together and demand the immediate release of our hostages.”

The President noted the presence of Ayelet Samerano, whose son Yonatan is held captive in Gaza. “Ayelet, your courage is our courage. Your pain is our pain. And your fight is our fight,” he said. “We will not stop. We will not rest. We will not be silent until Yonatan and every single one of our hostages are home.”

The President addressed the alarming surge in global antisemitism since October 7th, calling on Jewish communities and allies to take decisive action, stressing that:

“The fact is, that there is no circumstance and no equation in which negating the right of the Jewish people to live safely in their one and only nation-state is not antisemitism. To invalidate the existence of the singular Jewish national home, is to declare the world has no place for Jews.

"As President of the democratic nation-state of the Jewish People, a state in which all are equal—I say to you, Jewish leaders and activists Fight back! Don’t give up! To my Jewish brothers and sisters I say: I understand your concern for the safety of your communities, and for the future of your children. I understand your pain and outrage. I understand your concern for Jewish life, period. I also understand- and I share your worries in this urgent battle. The State of Israel is your full partner, and we are all in this battle.

President Herzog thanked US President Trump for his action against Columbia University which was sanctioned for failing to protect its Jewish students from antisemitism on campus.

Despite the rising hate, however, the President noted a renewed sense of Jewish pride and identity in response. “We have seen the Jews of October 8th—those whose Jewish identity was not the predominant factor in their lives—declare with strength: ‘We are Jewish!’”