Herzog: We’re at an important moment in Jewish history

The Jewish people are at an important moment in their history, and must be prepared to fight for their future, President Isaac Herzog tells Jewish leaders gathered at the Voice of the People summit.

“I tell everybody, fight back. Don’t be afraid. Raise your voice. Be proud of yourself,” he says.

Voice of the People is an initiative spearheaded by Herzog, bringing together 150 members chosen to work on tackling pressing communal challenges. Members convened in person for the first time this week in Haifa.

“Our story is not only about bloodshed and tears,” Herzog says. “The Jewish story is something huge, unique, and unbelievable, and its impact reverberates throughout the globe.”

Herzog says that he’s visited more than 1,000 bereaved families since the war began, from all sectors of Israeli society.

“Each family has an incredible story,” he says. “I know the names and families, and the intertwining of the Jewish story all comes back.”

Herzog also comments on Israeli actress Gal Gadot’s speech earlier this week at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) conference in New York, where she spoke of her Jewish pride and stated, “My name is Gal, and I’m Jewish.”

The president says he and his wife wrote to Gadot following the speech.

“We truly respect her, and I think it was a very important speech,” particularly at a time when college students are “afraid to tell their fraternity friends that they’re affiliated with Israel or that they’re even Jewish,” he says.