Jerusalem, Israel - Oct. 12, 2021  - The Jerusalem Post 10th Annual Diplomatic Conference was held at the new Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem, Israel on Tuesday, October 12th. 

Jerusalem Post Editor Yaakov Katz began the full-day conference program by introducing Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion to speak. Included in the long list of Israeli politicians and leaders were Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, President Isaac Herzog, Gidon Saar, Avigdor Liberman, Ayelet Shaked, Yussi Cohen, and Sylvan Adams. 

Jerusalem Post journalists interviewed multiple guests and panelists. Bloomberg's Gwen Ackerman interviewed Eran Peleg of Clarity Capital, who talked about "uncertainty" in the markets.

President of the World Jewish Congress Ron Lauder and Safra Catz CEO of Oracle were two of the featured speakers on the video and by Zoom. 

PM Bennett began his remarks concerning covid, "We're on our way out of the Delta wave without one day of closure which is a remarkable feat. We're about to pass a budget in about three or four weeks, also a very significant budget."

Continuing he said, "There's essentially in Israel three forces, political forces, ideological forces. There's the national force, Leumi, which roughly you would say is right-wing. There's the humanistic, global approach which you would call very roughly the left. And then there's the religious approach which would be the Haredim and the Orthodox. And in reality, we actually need all three vectors...

"Israel is a lighthouse of doing good things for the world in a storm. A lighthouse in a very stormy region. I'm proud to lead the government, to lead the nation that presents, in these very tumultuous times, an example of how you can do good while being strong in the toughest region in the world."

He concluded, "Iran is blatantly violating the IAEA commitments. I’m not even talking about the JCPOA. I'm just talking about the very fundamental commitments. And we're not going to wait. And I expect the global powers to hold them accountable, bring them to the UN Security Council, hold Iran accountable for it. That would be the peaceful route. There are other routes. That's the right thing to do. And I'm going to continue pursuing that over the next few weeks and months."

President Herzog spoke of the importance of international dialogue: “Over the past year, we have seen the good this dialogue can bring. And I want to focus on the Abraham Accords. They are a remarkable breakthrough in the history of our region. A brave, noble choice by Arab nations, with the fine mediation of the United States, to cast aside a failed policy of exclusion, lack of dialogue, lack of tolerance, and instead embrace a future based on inclusion with an Israel that has always outstretched its hand in peace. I hope many more Middle Eastern nations will emulate this path of dialogue and tolerance.

“I recently visited the king of Jordan in Amman and met King Abdullah II. I have spoken at length with President al-Sisi of Egypt. I had a long call with President Erdogan of Turkey, and a few conversations of courteous nature with Chairman Abbas of the Palestinian Authority.”

President Herzog condemned Iran's regional aggression as a result of a breakdown of international dialogue saying: “Here, we see the world’s failure to act in concert, to settle on a strategy to sever Iran’s tentacles in the Middle East, to restrain its ballistic missile program, and to shut down its nuclear program. Iran is exploiting this inaction, this lack of coordination: a clear threat to international peace and security.”

Herzog concluded, “As President, I intend to push forcefully on this issue, of the climate emergency. In November, world leaders will gather in Glasgow, Scotland, for the climate summit in a bid to pull our planet back from the brink. I hope that there too, dialogue, concern for our children’s future, and concern for the world that we are blessed to live in together will prevail over short-term interests and impulses.”  

Highlights in the afternoon included former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman's interview by Yaakov Katz and a speech by Gary Torgow of Mosaic United.

Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke before being interviewed and leaving Israel to return to the US.

At the conclusion of Pompeo's powerful message on Israel's legal rights, the audience applauded.