In response to a question from the media following the press statement today in Berlin, President Herzog spoke of the progress towards expanding the circle of peace in the region.
“When we judge historical processes, we cannot just take a specific moment. We should take into account this week: we are looking at President Trump's visit to the region, we are seeing the release of Edan Alexander, we know that there is an intense dialogue, and I really, truly, hope and pray every second that it will bear fruit. As I said, that's the key to a major change," President Herzog said.
He added: ”There is nothing I want more than to shake the hand of Sheikh Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, as a rapprochement between Jew and Muslim in the region. And I believe that this is the exact historical challenge. Are we moving towards the inclusion of Israel in the region? This is a historic process, which started with President Sadat in 1977, then with Jordan, then with the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco in the Abraham Accords. And what's the next step? Or are we caving into radical forces who want to block it, and they're using every possible way with the empire of evil from Tehran and their proxies?"
Herzog stated that “I believe the historic movement is for inclusion of Israel in the region, and we should do everything possible, both employing our capabilities to defend ourselves and extending our hand for peace and dreaming of peace and reaching it. It's not easy at all in the current circumstances, but that's exactly why we're standing here, to show that there's possible hope.”