At Yeshiva University, Herzog condemns anti-Israel hostility, demands hostage freedom, and lauds Trump’s decisive leadership.
At Yeshiva University’s historic 101st Annual Hanukkah Dinner in New York, President Isaac Herzog delivered a fierce, unrestrained address that confronted the worldwide explosion of antisemitism and the alarming radicalization emerging in New York City politics. Receiving an Honorary Doctorate, Herzog framed the American Jewish community as an irreplaceable pillar of global Jewish strength and declared that Israel would not bow to intimidation or slander.
Herzog praised Yeshiva University as a century-long beacon of Jewish intellect and nation-building, celebrating its fusion of Torah and modern scholarship as a force that has shaped Western civilization itself. He warned that Jews now face a renewed campaign of hatred—from online mobs to extremist activists—accusing anti-Israel agitators of weaponizing false narratives, Holocaust inversion, and social-justice theatrics to justify attacks on Jews.
Turning to New York City’s political shift, Herzog delivered a stinging rebuke of the incoming mayor-elect, blasting his open contempt for Israel and his outrageous claim that Jews making Aliyah somehow violate international law. Such rhetoric, Herzog argued, echoes the propaganda long used by Arab regimes and Palestinian factions to delegitimize the Jewish homeland and incite violence against Israel.
Addressing Israel’s ongoing pain after the October 7th massacre by Hamas, Herzog demanded the immediate release of the remaining Israeli hostage and paid tribute to the extraordinary courage of Israeli families and soldiers. He emphasized that nearly all hostages were returned due to the direct, personal intervention of President Donald J. Trump, whose strategic resolve, he said, “cut through regional games played by hostile Arab governments.”
Herzog concluded by thanking Trump for unveiling a realistic, hard-power Middle East vision—one that dismantles Hamas, deters Iran’s proxies, and forces hostile regimes like Syria and Lebanon to face a new regional order built around cooperation with Israel. Declaring the Jewish people eternal and unbreakable, Herzog urged Jews worldwide to stand proudly with Israel in its fight against terror, lies, and rising antisemitism.
