Israeli President Isaac Herzog says hostages must come home before Israel can move forward, urges ‘clear, united front’ declaring Hamas’ actions are unacceptable.
President Isaac Herzog arrived Monday in Berlin for a historic one-day state visit commemorating 60 years of diplomatic ties between Israel and Germany. The visit comes at a tense geopolitical moment, with the war in Gaza ongoing and Germany facing rising internal challenges from far-right political currents.
At a formal welcoming ceremony at Bellevue Palace, President Herzog was received with full military honors by his German counterpart, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The two presidents are expected to hold meetings and deliver joint statements before traveling together to Israel, where Steinmeier will participate in a reciprocal visit.
Speaking from Berlin, President Herzog addressed two major developments back home: the expected release of kidnapped soldier Edan Alexander from Hamas captivity and the return of the remains of IDF soldier Zvi Feldman, missing since the 1982 Battle of Sultan Yacoub
“These are moving moments that fill us with hope,” Herzog said. “The State of Israel does not give up. We bring every son or daughter home—whether they are living or murdered, whether they carry one passport or two. We are committed to returning them all, urgently. This is our sacred obligation.”
Herzog and Steinmeier’s visit will also include a poignant stop at Platform 17, the Berlin-Grunewald train station from which thousands of Jews were deported to concentration camps. Steinmeier will accompany Herzog back to Israel, where they will visit Kibbutz Be’eri—one of the communities hardest hit in Hamas’s October 7 massacre. Herzog is expected to present Steinmeier with the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor during a ceremony in Jerusalem.
Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor told AFP that Germany remains “Israel’s most important ally in Europe” and that “even when things are tough, the relationship remains strong and fair.”
