Posted on 11/07/23
President Isaac Herzog this evening, Tuesday, spoke by phone with United States Vice President Kamala Harris who called to express her solidarity with the Israeli people as the country marked one month since the October 7 atrocities carried out by Hamas terrorists.
President Herzog thanked Vice President Harris for her call and for her support for the Israeli people, and reiterated the appreciation of the Israeli people for the steadfast support of President Biden and his administration.
He noted that the immediate and unconditional return of the hostages was Israel’s prime concern. He repeated Prime Minister Netanyahu’s statement in the last hours, that there could be no ceasefire without the release of hostages held by Hamas, which include women, men, the elderly, children and babies as young as ten-months old.
Vice President Harris reiterated her support for Israel’s right to defend itself and stressed the importance of the well-being of the civilian population and the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The President replied by noting that Israel is committed to its responsibilities to abide by international humanitarian law as it continues defend itself and uproot Hamas’s terrorist infrastructure which was embedded within the Gazan civilian population. He reiterated Israel’s ongoing commitment to the supply of humanitarian aid to Gaza which had increased significantly in recent days - even while Israeli hostages were denied access to the International Red Cross, and no information about their well-being was provided.
Lastly, the President and Vice President spoke of their shared concern about the dramatic rise in antisemitism around the world. The President expressed his alarm at the death of a supporter of Israel following a pro-Palestinian demonstration in the US.