Meeting Biden, Herzog stresses urgent need to return Gaza hostages, combat Iran

Sitting beside US President Joe Biden in the Oval Office, President Isaac Herzog begins his remarks in front of reporters by noting the tragic events in Israel earlier today in northern Israel, where two people in the border town of Nahariya were killed in a Hezbollah rocket attack and a kindergarten was hit in a drone attack in Haifa.

“This is what we’re going through from Lebanon, Mr. President,” Herzog says, adding that the IDF will continue defending the Israeli people and acknowledging Biden’s efforts to end that conflict in a way where “there will be first and foremost security for the people of Israel, as well as for the people of Lebanon.”

Turning to Gaza, Herzog laments that 101 hostages remain in Hamas captivity after over 400 days. He thanks Biden for his efforts to try and secure their release. He acknowledges the US president’s desire to plan for the postwar management of Gaza and expresses his desire that those efforts will provide a “trajectory of hope to the people of the region… to live in security and peace.”

“But first and foremost, we have to get the hostages back,” the Israeli president asserts before stressing that the primary problem for the region is Iran, which seeks to destabilize the Mideast directly, through its proxies, by calling for the annihilation of Israel and by seeking nuclear weapons.

Combating Tehran “has to be a major objective all throughout your term and the next term of the next president because we have to make sure that they cannot fulfill their evil intentions,” Herzog says.

Herzog brands Tehran “a major engine of antisemitism,” using the opportunity to thank Biden for his efforts to combat antisemitism as president.

Biden’s prepared remarks opening the meeting are far shorter. He welcomes back Herzog to the White House, calls him a close friend and reiterates his “ironclad” commitment to the state of Israel.

Neither of them takes questions from shouting reporters.