From the Liveblog of
Friday, July 17, 2026
Herzog to Saudi TV: It is my dream to see peace with Riyadh; I respect Trump, Vance; ‘heart aches’ for every innocent Palestinian civilian killed
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
President Isaac Herzog sits down in his Jerusalem office with the Saudi Al Arabiya TV station, telling the outlet that is his dream to see peace between the two countries.
“I have great respect for Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman,” says Herzog of the Saudi leader. “The thing that we want most in Israel is to see rapprochement between the nations.”
He says he hopes to “meet the Saudi Arabian leadership officially in due course.”
Herzog says he is “not surprised” that the US-Iran MOU broke down, given Iran’s behavior in the past.
At the same time, he says he trusts US President Donald Trump fully, and believes in a diplomatic solution to the conflict, but “we had legitimate concerns, we raised them, and now you see it in front of your eyes with the Iranian behavior.”
“I respect President Donald Trump, and I respect Vice President JD Vance,” Herzog stresses, after Vance blamed Israel for trying to undermine talks with Iran.
He says he is “happy that the US reaction is firm and clear.”
Herzog also says that his “heart aches” for every innocent Palestinian civilian who is killed, and says that the people of Gaza deserve a good life.
The Times of Israel Community.