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Israel President Herzog addresses German Parliament
Herzog urged nations 'to work firmly and assertively against Iran and its plans to develop nuclear weapons'
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog on Tuesday addressed the German parliament, the Bundestag, as part of his three-day visit to the European country, marking the 50th anniversary of the killing of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics.
The president began his speech with the Yizkor prayer, which he dedicated “to the elevation of the souls of our brothers and sisters, who were killed, and massacred, and murdered by the Nazis and their accomplices.”
“We must continue learning and teaching about the Holocaust. Investigating it without fear or restriction, looking squarely at reality as it is. Waging an all-out war on Holocaust denial. Studying the conditions that led to it. Leaving no stone unturned,” Herzog said, urging German lawmakers to “declare all-out war on antisemitism and racism: stiff, clear, and unyielding.”
Herzog noted that for centuries “Jewish titans of culture, intellect, and science” contributed to German society and called on further deepening the partnership between Israel and Germany.
The president also thanked German leadership for the efforts that led to the agreement with the families of Israeli athletes killed in Munich in 1972. Herzog praised Berlin for “taking responsibility, making a commitment to an objective historical inquiry, and promoting relief for the bereaved families, who will forever bear this awful pain in their hearts.”
He underlined that Israel’s outreach for peace in the Middle East is genuine, citing the success of the Abraham Accords that the Jewish state signed with a number of Arab states in 2020.
“Israel has always aspired, and will continue to aspire, to good neighborliness and peace with all states and nations in the Middle East, and of course also with our Palestinian neighbors … It requires us, and it also requires the Palestinians, to look directly at reality and to make every effort to change it for the better. Our Palestinian neighbors must, first and foremost, fight terror and stop it at once,” Herzog said.
The president then addressed the Iranian threat, backing concerns of other Israeli officials over the emerging nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.
“Even in our generation, even right now, dark forces of hate, led by Iran, threaten not only Israel, and not only stability in the Middle East, but the global order itself. Here, at this important forum in Berlin, I call on the family of nations to work firmly and assertively against Iran and its plans to develop nuclear weapons,” the president stressed, adding that “threats and endeavors to annihilate Israel are inconceivable.”
He also touched on the war in Ukraine, expressing hope that Germany “will be a leading actor in the departure from the terrible tragedy afflicting the people of Ukraine.” Herzog concluded by saying Israel is proud of its partnership with Berlin and appreciates “Germany’s contributions to Israel’s security and prosperity.”