Herzog: Today we must remember that ‘senseless hatred destroyed Jerusalem’

President Isaac Herzog issues a warning about internal hatred leading to destruction in comments marking Jerusalem Day.

The never-ending journey of Jerusalem “has taught us as a society and a country that there is only one way for us to undertake this journey — together,” says Herzog at an official state ceremony.

“In particular on Jerusalem Day,” Herzog adds, he must cite the phrase from Jewish sages “that senseless hatred destroyed Jerusalem — and I emphasize: Unjustified hatred is not just a reason but a consequence of itself; there are factors that lead to it.”

Herzog adds that stories of just hatred and destruction throughout Jewish history all stem from an inability “to manage the disagreement, to solve the dispute, to put the internal debate aside on the way to peace. That’s what leads to hatred, and hatred leads to destruction.”

The Jewish people, he adds, must learn from such lessons and put their findings into action.