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Isaac Herzog

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Isaac Herzog
יִצְחָק הֶרְצוֹג‎
Official portrait, 2021
11th President of Israel
Incumbent
Assumed office
7 July 2021
Prime Minister
Preceded byReuven Rivlin
Leader of the Opposition
In office
25 November 2013 – 31 July 2018
Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu
Preceded byShelly Yachimovich
Succeeded byTzipi Livni
Ministerial positions
Minister of Welfare and Social Services
In office
21 March 2007 – 17 January 2011
Prime Minister
Preceded byEhud Olmert
Succeeded byMoshe Kahlon
Minister of Diaspora, Society and the Fight Against Antisemitism
In office
21 March 2007 – 31 March 2009
Prime MinisterEhud Olmert
Preceded byNatan Sharansky
Succeeded byYuli-Yoel Edelstein
Minister of Tourism
In office
4 May 2006 – 21 March 2007
Prime MinisterEhud Olmert
Preceded byAvraham Hirschson
Succeeded byYitzhak Aharonovich
Minister of Housing and Construction
In office
10 January 2005 – 23 November 2005
Prime MinisterAriel Sharon
Preceded byTzipi Livni
Succeeded byZe'ev Boim
Member of the Knesset
In office
17 February 2003 – 31 July 2018
Personal details
Born (1960-09-22) 22 September 1960 (age 65)
Tel Aviv, Israel
PartyZionist Union (2015–2018)
Israeli Labor (until 2024)
Spouse
​
(m. 1985)​
Children3
Parents
RelativesHerzog family
Alma mater
Signature
Military service
Branch/serviceIsrael Defense Forces
Years of service
1978
RankRav séren (Major)
UnitUnit 8200

Isaac "Bougie" Herzog (Hebrew: יִצְחָק "בּוּזִ'י" הֶרְצוֹג, romanized: Yitskhak "Buzhi" Hertsog; born 22 September 1960) is an Israeli politician who has been serving since 2021 as the president of Israel. He is the first president to have been born in Israel after its Declaration of Independence.

Son of former Israeli president Chaim Herzog, he is a lawyer by profession and had served as Government Secretary from 1999 to 2001. He was a member of the Knesset from 2003 to 2018. He has held several ministerial posts between 2005 and 2011, including serving as Minister of Welfare and Social Services from 2007 to 2011 under prime ministers Ehud Olmert and Benjamin Netanyahu.

Herzog had served as Chairman of the Labor Party and the Zionist Union alliance from 2013 to 2017. He served as Leader of the Opposition from 2013 to 2018 and was the Labor Party candidate for prime minister during the 2015 Israeli legislative election. Herzog was elected in the 2021 Israeli presidential election and was inaugurated on 7 July 2021. He is the first son of an Israeli president to become president himself.

Early life and education

Isaac (Yitzhak) "Bougie" Herzog was born in Tel Aviv. He is the son of Major-General Chaim Herzog, who served two terms as the sixth president of Israel from 1983 to 1993, and Aura Ambache, founder of the Council for a Beautiful Israel.[1][2] Herzog's father was born and raised in Ireland and his mother was born in Egypt; their families were of Eastern European Jewish descent (from Poland, Russia, and Lithuania). He has two brothers and a sister.[2] His paternal grandfather, Rabbi Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog, was the first chief rabbi of Ireland,[2] a post he held from 1922 to 1935,[1] and Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel from 1936 to 1959. The third foreign minister of Israel, Abba Eban, was his uncle.[3]

When his father served as permanent representative of Israel to the United Nations for three years, Herzog lived in New York City and attended the Ramaz School.[4] In the following years, while also studying in high school, Herzog gained an advanced academic education at Cornell University and New York University and spent summers at Camp Ramah.[5][6] He also accompanied his father to visit the Lubavitcher Rebbe in Brooklyn.[7]

When he returned to Israel at the end of 1978, he enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and served as a major officer in Unit 8200 of the Israeli Intelligence Corps. Herzog studied law at Tel Aviv University. He worked at a law firm founded by his father, Herzog, Fox & Ne'eman.[8]

Career

Although he did not win a seat in the 1999 elections, Herzog served as the secretary of the government in Ehud Barak's cabinet until 2001 when Barak was defeated by Ariel Sharon in a special election for prime minister.[8] In 1999, he was also investigated in the "Amutot Barak" scandal (a scandal involving allegations that the party funding law was violated), but maintained his silence.[8] The Attorney General, therefore, decided to close the case against him due to lack of evidence. From 2000 until 2003, he served as chairman of the Israel Anti-Drug Authority.

Herzog won a seat in the 2003 election as a member of the Labor Party and was appointed Minister of Housing and Construction at his request when Labor joined Ariel Sharon's coalition government on 10 January 2005. However, on 23 November 2005, he resigned from his cabinet post along with the rest of the party. Prior to the 2006 elections, Herzog won second place on Labor's list in the party's primaries. He was initially appointed Minister of Tourism in Ehud Olmert's Kadima-led coalition but was reassigned to the Social Affairs ministry in March 2007 after Yisrael Beiteinu was awarded the Tourism Ministry following their late entry to the governing coalition, and was also appointed Minister of the Diaspora, Society and the Fight Against Antisemitism. He was again second on the party's list for the 2009 elections. Following the election, he was appointed Minister of Welfare and Social Services and Minister of the Diaspora. In January 2009 he was appointed by PM Ehud Olmert as the Israel Government Coordinator for the provision of humanitarian aid to the population of Gaza. He later resigned from the cabinet after Ehud Barak left the Labor Party to establish Independence in January 2011.[9]

In 2011 Herzog was an unsuccessful candidate for the Labor Party leadership. He finished third in the primaries that year after Shelly Yachimovich and Amir Peretz.[10]

Opposition leader

Official portrait, 2016

On 22 November 2013, Herzog was elected leader of the Labor Party, defeating incumbent Shelly Yachimovich by 58.5% to 41.5%.[11] In doing so, he became Leader of the Opposition. Whereas Yachimovich focused first on socioeconomic issues, Herzog prioritizes security and resolution of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.[4] Ten days after the election, Herzog met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to pledge his support for the two-state solution.[12]

Herzog speaking at the Munich Security Conference, 2015
Presidential styles of
Isaac Herzog
Reference styleHis Excellency, The Honorable
כבוד הנשיא‎
Spoken styleYour Excellency, Honorable President
כבוד הנשיא‎
Alternative styleMr. President
אדוני הנשיא‎

Herzog reportedly reached out to Shas leader Aryeh Deri to increase cooperation between the two opposition factions.[13]

In June 2014, Herzog criticised PM Benjamin Netanyahu for failing to engage the international community, failing to present a proposal for peace with Palestinians, and failure to work effectively with the President of the United States, Barack Obama. Herzog declared that Netanyahu's "loathing and hostility for Barack Obama" was one of his greatest failures, since it put Israel's security at risk.[14]

With the governing coalition dissolving and new elections expected in March 2015, Herzog called on Hatnua and Kadima parties to join his Labor Party in forming a new coalition. In an interview with Ynet, he stated, "I am capable of replacing Netanyahu. I will do everything in order to establish a bloc before the elections."[15] Shortly thereafter, Herzog and Tzipi Livni, who was justice minister and is head of a centrist faction, announced they would campaign on a joint slate in the upcoming election in an effort to keep Netanyahu, leader of the Likud Party, from securing a fourth term as prime minister.[16] The joint list was named Zionist Union, winning 24 seats to Likud's 30 in the 2015 election, making it the largest Opposition faction.

In July 2017, Herzog was eliminated in the first round of the Labor Party leadership vote. Avi Gabbay went on to win the leadership elections; however, Herzog remained official leader of the opposition in the Knesset as Gabay was not an elected MK. After being elected chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, Herzog resigned as Leader of the Opposition and from the Knesset. Tzipi Livni succeeded him as Leader of the Opposition, whilst Robert Tiviaev replaced him in the Knesset.

Chairman of the Jewish Agency

In June 2018, Herzog was unanimously elected chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel.[17] Herzog marked bridging the gap between the Jewish people and the State of Israel as one of his objectives.[18] In an interview on Ynet news, Herzog stated that he views intermarriage between Jews and non-Jews as a plague to which there must be a solution.[19] On 24 October 2018, Herzog led a resolution to reaffirm the Jewish Agency's Board of Governors' commitment to the principles of a democratic Israel as emerging from the Declaration of Independence.[20]

Following the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, Herzog expressed his concern from the rising anti-Semitism all over the world.[21] In the International Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at the European Parliament in Brussels he urged the leaders of European countries to fight anti-Semitism and to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism.[22] In March 2019, the Jewish Agency became the first public institution in Israel to help employees finance surrogacy services abroad so that they can become parents (this includes gay and single parents).[23]

President of Israel

Herzog with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Ukraine, October 2021
Herzog with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels, 2023

On 19 May 2021, Herzog announced his candidacy in the 2021 Israeli presidential election.[24] On 2 June 2021, he was elected as president by the Knesset.[25] He won more votes than any presidential candidate in Israel's history, receiving 87 votes compared to 26 for his opponent Miriam Peretz, and was sworn in on 7 July 2021, becoming the first son of a former Israeli president to also become president.[26]

Assuming the Presidency in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Isaac Herzog played a prominent role in Israel's COVID-19 response. He launched the world’s first booster vaccination drive by receiving his third dose in July 2021,[27] and later received his fourth dose in January 2022, to help encourage widespread public immunization.[28]

In 2023, with the country facing civil unrest, Herzog positioned himself as a chief mediator during the 2023 judicial reform crisis, urging compromise. He proposed an alternative framework, the "People's Outline", which sought broad consensus over unilateral changes to Israel's judiciary.[29] [30]

All of this pivoted following October 7 where Herzog and his wife led national memorials, consoled bereaved families, advocated for the hostages, and served as a leading voice in the international media defending Israel’s military actions. Herzog has also consistently called for an independent, non-political probe into the state's intelligence and security failures.[31] [32] [33]

Diplomatic activity was a core focus of Herzog’s activity and he is the first Israeli President to visit UAE, Bahrain, [34] Zambia,[35] and Panama.[36] Herzog also leads the efforts in encouraging interfaith relations inside Israel and internationally. [37]

Some of the key initiatives introduced by Herzog during his time in office are Time to Talk,[38] the Climate Forum[39] and establishing the Voice of the People council.[40]

Personal life

Herzog is married to Michal, a lawyer, and has three sons. He resides in his childhood home in the Tzahala neighborhood of Tel Aviv.[41]

References

  1. 1 2 Druckman, Yaron (17 March 2015). "The Herzogs: Three generations of Israeli leadership". Ynetnews. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Ferber, Alona (9 March 2015). "The Herzog family tree: Israel's answer to the Kennedys". Haaretz. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  3. ↑ Ilan Ben Zion. (2 June 2021). "Herzog, scion of prominent Israeli family, elected president". Egypt Independent website Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  4. 1 2 Ruth Margalit (30 January 2014). "Israeli Labor's New Leader Looking to Obama and de Blasio As Models". Tablet Magazine. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  5. ↑ Jaben-Eilon, Jan (3 June 2021). "Israel Elects Isaac Herzog as 11th President". Atlanta Jewish Times. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  6. ↑ Herzog, Isaac (24 February 2010). "Isaac "Buji" Herzog's Reflection". Reshet Ramah. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  7. ↑ chabad.org/2741419
  8. 1 2 3 Asher Schechter (1 December 2013). "The Bougieman: Much hope rests on small shoulders of Isaac Herzog". Haaretz. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  9. ↑ Somfalvi, Attila (17 January 2011). "Labor ministers quit gov't after split". Ynetnews.
  10. ↑ Lis, Jonathan (13 September 2011). "Labor primaries yield inconclusive results; Yachimovich and Peretz neck and neck". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 13 September 2011.
  11. ↑ Azulay, Moran (22 November 2013). "Drama in Labor party: Herzog beats Yachimovich for chairmanship". Ynetnews.
  12. ↑ Laub, Karin (1 December 2013). "Israel's new opposition leader, Isaac Herzog, meets Palestine president, pledges support for peace deal". CTV News. Associated Press. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  13. ↑ Yaakov, Yifa (2 December 2013). "Shas and Labor forge unlikely alliance". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  14. ↑ "Netanyahu 'loathes' Obama, Israel's opposition leader charges". The Times of Israel. 6 June 2014.
  15. ↑ Winer, Stuart (2 December 2014). "Opposition leader calls for center-left bloc to defeat PM". The Times of Israel.
  16. ↑ Kershner, Isabel (10 December 2014). "Alliance Adds Twist to Israeli Elections". The New York Times.
  17. ↑ Ahren, Raphael (24 June 2018). "Herzog elected Jewish Agency head, vows to cooperate with government". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  18. ↑ Gur, Haviv Rettig (9 September 2018). "Isaac Herzog sees hope for the Jewish Agency, and the fractured nation it serves". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  19. ↑ Bar, Roni (26 June 2018). "Opinion Typhus, Cholera and Intermarriage of U.S. Jews". Haaretz. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  20. ↑ Maltz, Judy (24 October 2018). "In Jab at Netanyahu's Policies, Top Jewish Organization Reaffirms Commitment to a Democratic Israel". Haaretz. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  21. ↑ "US and Israeli officials respond to synagogue shooting". Israel National News. 27 October 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  22. ↑ "Jewish Agency head to Euro Parliament: Jews no longer safe on streets of Europe". The Times of Israel. 23 January 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  23. ↑ Maltz, Judy (3 March 2019). "In Landmark Move, Jewish Agency to Assist Gay Employees With Surrogacy Services". Haaretz. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  24. ↑ Schneider, Tal (19 May 2021). "Isaac Herzog, Miriam Peretz announce candidacy for presidency as race warms up". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  25. ↑ "Isaac Herzog, a veteran politician and scion of a prominent Israeli family, is elected president, a figurehead role". Associated Press. 2 June 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  26. ↑ "Herzog takes office as Israel's 11th president, warns of dangers of polarization". The Times of Israel. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  27. ↑ "Israeli President Herzog and Wife Get Third COVID Vaccine Dose, Kicking Off World's First Campaign". Haaretz. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  28. ↑ "Israel's President Isaac Herzog jabbed with 4th vaccine dose". i24. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  29. ↑ "Herzog: Judicial reform raises grave concern for future of Israeli democracy". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  30. ↑ "Warning of civil war, Herzog unveils framework for judicial reform; PM rejects it". Times of Israel. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  31. ↑ "Herzog opposes coalition's Oct. 7 commission of inquiry, calls for state investigation". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  32. ↑ "President Herzog marks first anniversary of October 7 massacre". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  33. ↑ "Marking the second anniversary of the October 7 attack: President Herzog's statement". Ministry of Foreighn Affairs. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  34. ↑ "Herzog arrives in the UAE after wrapping up visit to Bahrain". Times of Israel. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  35. ↑ "President Herzog to depart on State Visits to Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  36. ↑ "President Herzog to depart on official visit to Panama and Costa Rica". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  37. ↑ "Herzog urges interfaith dialogue at Haifa coexistence summit". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  38. ↑ "Time to Talk". Office of the President. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  39. ↑ "The Israeli Presidential Climate Forum". Sviva. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  40. ↑ "'From Blueprints to Life' showcases first year of Israeli president Herzog's Voice of the People". eJewish Philanthrophy. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  41. ↑ Sarid, Yossi (22 August 2008). "Is this security?". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
Party political offices
Preceded by Leader of the Labor Party
2013–2017		 Succeeded by
Position established Co-leader of the Zionist Union
2014–2017
Political offices
Preceded by Leader of the Opposition
2013–2018		 Succeeded by
Preceded by President of Israel
2021–present		 Incumbent
Civic offices
Preceded by Chairman of the Jewish Agency
2018–2021		 TBD
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