Herzog kicks off World Zionist Congress: ‘Those who once called us ‘zhids’ now call us ‘zios’

Those who seek to destroy Israel will never be able to defeat us, President Isaac Herzog tells the opening event of the 39th World Zionist Congress in Jerusalem.

“Those who once called us ‘zhids‘ now call us ‘zios,'” Herzog says, referring to derogatory slang terms for Jews and Zionists, respectively. “Well, these zios have now returned to their land.”

This year’s conference is the largest on record, with hundreds of participants from Israel, the United States and around the world gathered to discuss and vote on a variety of issues of importance to Jewish communities, including a number of controversial measures.

WZO chairman Yaakov Hagoel tells the congress that they are standing at a critical point in the nation’s history.

“128 years ago in Basel, Herzl dreamed of a nation,” he says. “Now, we are bringing soul to this nation.”

This year’s congress follows record-breaking participation in the US World Zionist Congress election earlier this year, in which more than 224,000 American Jews voted, out of some 265,000 ballots cast worldwide.

Herzog offers hope that the congress will help promote Israel’s rebuilding after two years of war in Gaza.

“Without any doubt, this conference is not a normal one,” Herzog says. “It is one of self-introspection for the nation.”