The President of the State, Yitzhak Herzog, met today (Thursday) with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, who is visiting Israel due to the security situation. They discussed the importance of restoring security to Israel and addressing the issue of the captives.
At the outset of their meeting, President Herzog expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for his support of Israel and described the horrifying events experienced by the residents of the south. He said, "We thank you for your visit. You came to visit Israel in its darkest hour, but we will overcome and prevail, and this will be our finest hour."
According to his words: "The way in which Israeli citizens have risen after the terrible attack, after the shock and trauma, with immense pain that we carry with us every hour. Every hour, more stories, more shocking stories – people burned and bound by barbed wire. You can imagine the family just moments before it was wiped out, and their heads severed, all the things we have heard."
Herzog: "We know that Hamas is led by Tehran"
"And therefore, this is a test, the moment that tests who our friends are, who is with us. And you have been with us from the very beginning. We are grateful, Prime Minister, for your support and your decisions, and for your leadership in this regard. And we are glad to have you here."
Herzog pointed an accusing finger at Iran: "We are in a certain clash of humanity. We see ISIS on our border, entering our land. It's an empire of evil that we know is being led from Tehran," he noted.
He also said, "A coalition of evil led from Tehran, with branches in Lebanon, branches that left destruction in Syria, Yemen, and Iraq. This is the true international interest, the security interest of all the peoples of Europe, and this is how we feel and see the moment we face."
The president continued, "Therefore, the fact that you are here gives us a certain sense of responsibility and support for the fact that we are working to dismantle the military capabilities of this enemy so that we can bring back people who are decent, honest, and innocent to our land, and live in peace with our Palestinian neighbors. We believe that both nations deserve this. We are grateful to you for your efforts on all fronts."
The humanitarian issue surrounding the Gaza Strip is not lost on President Herzog, as he stated, "We listen with great attention to your message and to the message of President Biden and other leaders regarding the need for a humanitarian assistance plan for the residents of Gaza who have left the war zone, so that we can exercise our natural right to self-defense. I thank you for your clear support for our self-defense and for your support of the Jewish community. Your presence in the synagogue was so important to the Jewish people, and I am also grateful for that."
Following the president's earlier criticism of the conduct of the BBC television channel, which does not recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization, President Herzog asked Sunak for the UK government to thoroughly examine, stating, "I want to raise the issue of what I call 'objective or not objective reporting' of this tragedy because we feel, and I have said this as well, that the way the BBC presents Hamas is a distortion of the facts."
"The international demand must be extremely strong for the return of the abductees"
According to the President, "We are dealing with one of the worst terrorist organizations in the world. And I know that in modern democracies, like ours and yours, you can't interfere with everything, but because the BBC is linked to the government and is a representation of Britain worldwide, it needs to be loudly called upon to make the correction and define Hamas as a terrorist organization there as well. What more do they need to see to understand the shock?"
In conclusion, he urged the international community to bring back the hostages. "Our hearts ache from the pain of the families, and now we are also dedicated to the return of the abductees. There are babies and pregnant women, elderly people with dementia with their caregivers, foreign citizens, innocent lives with no knowledge of their whereabouts. I believe that the international demand must be very strong so that we can bring them home as soon as possible, safe and sound. Thank you very much."
UK Prime Minister Sunak: "We will continue our efforts to bring back the abductees"
During the meeting, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described his feelings and strongly condemned Hamas: "It's a privilege for me to be here, during a difficult and challenging time for you and your people, but I want to be here, first and foremost, to express solidarity with your people. You have endured suffering beyond description, a barbaric act of terror, and we must call this atrocity by its name - it is an act of terror! Perpetrated by the cruel terrorist organization Hamas. This is what I believe in, and this is what I will continue to say. In that spirit, we stand alongside Israel."
Sunak continued and implored Herzog that Israel must restore security to its citizens. He said, "You have the right to defend yourselves, to restore security to your people and your country, and to ensure the safe return of the hostages." He further added, "This is not a right; this is an obligation to restore security to your country. I am confident that we will continue to work closely and support your efforts to bring the captives back home."
In conclusion, he also addressed the humanitarian aspect of the situation in the Gaza Strip. "The Palestinians are victims of the actions of Hamas. It is important that we continue to provide humanitarian access to the citizens. I commend the announcement made by the UK yesterday, in which it declared that it would provide additional assistance to the region," he stated.
According to the British Prime Minister, "We will ensure that this aid reaches only those who need it. As you mentioned, people were asked to leave to protect their lives, and that was the right thing to do. Wherever we can, we will support them. I applaud the progress we have made on this issue, and I know that we will continue to do so. The relationship between our two countries has always been strong. But I want you to know, at this specific moment, you have not just our friendship but our full solidarity."
