(Communicated by the President's Spokesperson)
President Herzog delivered remarks and laid a wreath yesterday (Thursday, 10 July 2025) at the official state memorial ceremony marking 19 years since the Second Lebanon War.
In his address, President Herzog said: “We must not, under any circumstances, rest on our laurels. Time will tell whether the impressive military achievements will be translated into diplomatic steps that secure a long-term, stable, safe, and quiet future – on our northern border and beyond. There is a real opportunity, and we must not miss it.”
He added, “We have demonstrated Israel’s strength and transformed the reality on the ground. We are in a historic moment. We stand at a crossroads: between jihadist terrorism that has sought – and still seeks – to dominate the region, and a horizon of hope for partnership and peace in the Middle East.”
“At this moment, we, all the peoples of the Middle East, must stand firm against hatred and terrorism, and together, step by step, create a new reality for the entire region. A historic opportunity lies before us – one that your sons helped initiate, and it is our duty to try to fulfill it.”
The President stressed, “A first, essential, and critical step in transforming this reality must be the completion of the most sacred mission: the return of our brothers held hostage in Hamas’s tunnels. This is a sacred moral, Israeli, Jewish, and human duty, and we must fulfill it. We will not rest, we will not be silent, we will not heal, and we will not be whole until they return, all of them, every last one.”