Strictly speaking, the role of the president of the State of Israel is largely ceremonial. It touches on politics when the president makes his maiden speech in the Knesset, when he consults with political parties on their recommendations for a prime minister after the Knesset elections, when he tasks a member of the Knesset to form a government, and when he opens a new session of the Knesset.
Otherwise, he is expected to be apolitical. But each of Israel’s 11 presidents came from a political background, and most were previously legislators and ministers.
Remaining apolitical has proved almost impossible.
President Isaac Herzog, who has served in several ministerial positions as well as opposition leader, is no exception. It could be argued that he is the most politically oriented president to date, surpassing even Shimon Peres, who was the longest-serving of Israel’s MKs.
Herzog spoke out against judicial reform, which was and still is a political hot potato. He also meets regularly with released hostages and families of hostages, insisting that the release of the hostages in Gaza takes priority above all other considerations, a viewpoint that runs counter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policy. Regarding developments post-October 7 in Israel and the region, Herzog has called for an emergency national unity government several times.
Herzog's role in Israel's diplomatic efforts
Although he has cut down slightly on his visits abroad, the peripatetic Herzog acts in a diplomatic and political capacity during state visits and participation in international events, even during brief 24-hour visits. His talks with presidents, prime ministers, opposition leaders, and heads of Jewish communities include pointing out the cruelty of Hamas; the urgent need for the immediate release of the hostages; the danger of a nuclear Iran and its proxies, not only to the region but to the world; and the dangerous rising antisemitism, reminiscent of the 1930s.
These conversations are not limited to in-person meetings. Herzog is in frequent telephone and social media contact with heads of state, government leaders, and other influential personalities.
Furthermore, he hosts counterparts when they visit Israel and meets regularly with members of the diplomatic community and, of course, leaders and delegations of Diaspora Jewish communities. Regarding the latter, Herzog has an advantage over his predecessors, having previously served as chairman of the Jewish Agency; in that capacity, he met several times a year with Zionist leaders and other Jewish community figures from abroad. They are on first-name terms, which creates an aura of family.
His crowded calendar also includes meetings with heads of all the organizations that are part of Israel’s defense and security network; visits to army bases and hospitals, where he talks to the wounded as well as to medical staff; educational and cultural institutions; Arab and Druze villages; and more. In other words, he does his utmost to be the president of all the people, even to the extent of participating in the daily morning prayer services held in the synagogue on the grounds of the President’s residence and attending services in synagogues around the country on Jewish Holy Days.
Since October 7, he has paid numerous condolence calls to families of fallen soldiers and murdered hostages. He delivered a speech at the funeral of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, the most well-known hostage, who Hamas murdered when the IDF was so close to rescuing him.
What endears Herzog to many people is his wealth of knowledge on a wide variety of subjects, as well as his incredible recollection of names and faces. Given the numerous individuals he encounters daily, one could forgive him for forgetting, and it often comes as a pleasant surprise to hear him recall their most recent encounter. All of this, and more, contributes to his range of influence in Israel and around the world.