Israel’s President Isaac Herzog serves in a unique position. He was not elected by the people of Israel. He was elected by the Knesset. As president, he is not expected to have direct involvement in political maneuverings within the Knesset and he has no authority to act independently on behalf of the state. With some minor exceptions he is an honorary leader who is expected to remain above the political fray.
And yet, Herzog’s influence and impact goes well beyond the ceremonial functions in which he is involved. His views, opinions and pronouncements are carefully reviewed, enormously respected and monitored carefully by Isarel’s friends, allies and even its adversaries.
Herzog is uniquely respected. He is viewed as “neutral” in Israel’s heavily political Knesset environment, even though he is a former head of the country’s Labor party and despite his long history of significant political involvement in many of the issues being confronted by the Israeli government and its leadership.
What sets Herzog apart is his calm demeanor and plain-spoken credibility. He is respected for his genuine embrace of the people of Israel rather than the political parties with which they are affiliated. And while he may have personal views on many issues, Herzog can be counted upon to speak in his capacity as a president who is focused on what is best for the people of Israel even while he remains respectful of those elected to lead.
So, it was interesting to read reports about Herzog’s comments at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last week, particularly on the issue of peace with the Palestinians and the possibility of a two-state solution.
Herzog is a longtime supporter of a two-state solution. But he says the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel served as a “wake-up call” for his outlook on the conflict and something that has shifted his view of potential peace in the Middle East.
After describing the Oct. 7 attack’s impact on Israelis and its ramifications throughout the region, Herzog acknowledged that “there must be a political move forward on the Palestinian front.” But he didn’t explain what that should be. Much is being read into the fact that Herzog didn’t tie a resolution to the creation of a Palestinian state or even suggest that a Palestinian state could be the end point of the process.
Herzog’s concern is clear: “The idea of a two-state solution is something which, on record, I supported in the past, many times. But I would say that I had a wake-up call following Oct. 7, in the sense that I want to hear my neighbors say how much they object, regret, condemn and do not accept in any way the terrible tragedy of the terror attack of Oct. 7 and the fact that terror cannot be the tool to get there.”
Herzog acknowledged that Palestinians “deserve” peace. But he made clear that, in his view, unrepentant terrorism has raised the threshold for concessions from Israel on issues relating to a Palestinian state and made achieving it much more difficult.
Herzog’s comments appear to be consistent with the reported view of a majority of Israelis. Israelis want peace — but it’s a two-way street. Palestinians need to show a genuine desire for peace, a commitment to change and an acknowledgment that terror, murder and mayhem are entirely unacceptable.
Palestinian leaders need to step forward, make those declarations and show that they mean it. That will get the attention of wary Israelis.
