Czech President Petr Pavel assured his Israeli counterpart Herzog that his country stands shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish state in its battle to defeat Hamas.
“You can always rely on the Czech Republic,” Pavel told Herzog when the two met at the President’s residence in Jerusalem. He later spoke in a closed-door meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Discussing the future of Gaza
The two presidents discussed the future of Gaza after the Hamas issue is settled and the need for both military and civilian oversight. They also discussed other issues in the Middle East that are linked to Iran and Russia.
“How do we secure Israel’s security?” Herzog queried. “We have to think about how we can trust our neighbors. Europe has to think about it too.”
In calling for international support in Israel’s struggle against Hamas, Herzog said, “If we are not here, Europe and the United States will be next, which is why the world should support us.”
The world is at the crossroads of culture he stressed. While Israel is fighting to preserve world democracy, Hamas is enforcing a jihadist culture in which children are inculcated with the concept of committing suicide for the cause.
He described the war that Hamas is conducting as “cynical and psychological” and defined Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar as “a psychopath who kills people with his own hands.”
On the matter of humanitarian aid to Gaza, Herzog reiterated what he has said to other world leaders and solidarity groups, namely that Israel is in favor of additional assistance, which has already been increased from a few dozen trucks a day to more than 200. “We can easily get to 400,” said Herzog, but underscored that this can be achieved only by doing away with UN and other bureaucracy, which is hampering such a move.
He also urged world donors to ensure that the trucks arrive intact. “Hamas is looting some of the convoys,” he said, emphasizing the importance of studying facts on the ground.
New in office
Pavel arrived in Jerusalem just two weeks short of the first anniversary of his election to Czech office.
A retired army general, President Pavel was elected in January 2023. He previously served as chairman of the NATO Military Committee, and before that was Chief of General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces.
In October 2023 Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky was the first foreign official to visit Israel in the wake of the massacre by Hamas. He was followed later that month by Prime Minister Petr Fiala, and on Monday, the Czech demonstration of solidarity was cemented by Pavel. All three met with Herzog.
Noting that the Czech Republic had been the first nation to come to Israel after October 7, Herzog said that for him Pavel’s visit was an emotional one because it demonstrated the integrity of the Czech Republic in what is largely a world of hypocrisy.
Herzog recalled his first visit to Prague when he accompanied his father President Chaim Herzog who went there in 1990, soon after the Velvet Revolution, and they were received by President Vaclav Havel.
Strong ties link Israel and the Czech Republic
The Czech Republic has a long history of support for Israel extending back to the days when it was linked as a single entity to Slovakia and known as Czechoslovakia.
Israel’s seventh president Ezer Weizman, who served in the British Royal Air Force during the Second World War, during Israel’s War of Independence was sent to Czechoslovakia to learn how to fly Messerschmidt planes and to fly one back to the nascent State of Israel.
Other Israeli pilots were also trained in Czechoslovakia, but perhaps even more important was the fact that while other countries refused to supply Israel with arms and ammunition, Czechoslovakia did not leave the tiny country pitted against enemies on all sides to fend entirely for itself. Czechoslovakia helped with military supplies and was also among the first countries to recognize Israel on May 18, 1948, after having voted at the United Nations General Assembly in November 1947 for the partition of Palestine.
Pavel mentioned that even before that Foreign Minister Jan Masaryk had been supportive of the creation of the Jewish State.
As part of the Soviet Bloc, Czechoslovakia severed relations with Israel in the aftermath of the 1967 Six Days War but was quick to resume relations following the 1989 Velvet Revolution.
During the period in which it did not have diplomatic relations with Israel, Czechoslovakia nonetheless maintained the building that had served as its embassy in Tel Aviv, and after renewing diplomatic ties, moved back into its former abode, and is still there, with a branch of the embassy located in Jerusalem.
When Czechoslovakia split into two separate nations, Israel entered into diplomatic relations with each other.
Herzog visited the Czech Republic in 2022 to present Israel’s Medal of Honor to then-President Milos Zeman.
Pavel, who visited Israel many times in previous capacities, told Herzog that even though this was a sad occasion he was happy to be in Israel again.
He and other Czechs had been shocked when seeing the images of the October 7 brutality he said, and though aware of the difficulties posed by the Palestinians, no one had expected such a brutal and deliberate attack which would provoke such a strong response, he said.
The Czech Republic is in full solidarity with Israel’s fight against terrorism, Pavel declared but is also concerned about humanitarian aid for the civilian population of Gaza.
Images of children eating from the ashes “is changing public perceptions” he cautioned, adding “It is important to remind ourselves and the world who were the victims on October 7.”
Since the Czech leadership can be counted amongst Israel’s best friends in Europe the Czech public has called for an immediate cease-fire to the current conflict between Israel and Hamas and is greatly displeased by Pavel’s decision to visit Israel at this time.
Czech media reported that large crowds of protesters congregated at Prague Castle, the seat of the President, to voice their disgust at Pavel’s visit, and accused Israel of genocide.
Herzog expressed appreciation to the Czech Republic and Austria for exercising their rights of intervention at the International Court of Justice on Israel’s behalf. He also thanked the Czech Republic for the stance that it has taken on antisemitism.
The de facto State of Palestine maintains an embassy in Prague, and several pro-Palestinian organizations incite against Israel. Pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian organizations are often pitted against each other.