Herzog in Davos calls on world to partner with Israel
President Isaac Herzog on Tuesday, in an address to the World Economic Forum in Davos, urged the nations of the world to partner with Israel and make history.
The WEF is one of the most high-profile, annual global events. It was meeting in person after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Commenting that the world is now returning to normalcy, Herzog said the new normal is drastically different from the reality that had been put on hold.
As part of the new normal, he singled out the war in Ukraine and its devastating effect on the Ukrainian population, coupled with extraordinary humane services for Ukrainian refugees and for those Ukrainians who have remained in their country.
Turning to something more positive, Herzog spoke of opportunities for profound historic shifts, particularly those that stem from the
Abraham Accords, which he termed “a set of groundbreaking agreements between Israel and its Arab neighbors for peace and normalization.”
Declaring that the Abraham Accords are helping to realign the Middle East, Herzog paid credit to “the courageous efforts of leaders at the forefront and supporters behind the scenes who made these agreements a reality, under the auspices of the United States of America.”
As a result, he said, “an outburst of energy is sweeping through the region – energy of change, which will dictate how the next generation grows up.”
Herzog shared his vision of a 10-year-old boy or girl somewhere in the Middle East who sees his or her Muslim leader speaking openly with a Jewish head of state; who sees the Israeli flag fluttering proudly as Israel’s prime minister, defense minister, or foreign minister are welcomed to summits in Sharm El-Sheikh, Rabat and Manama; who sees the president of Israel warmly received at the Royal Palace in Amman and the Presidential Palace in Ankara; and who sees an Israeli president flying two weeks ago directly to Abu Dhabi to console its new ruler on the passing of his beloved brother, as Herzog did.
“A child who grows up with such a deep message of hope will mature into an inspired young adult for whom peace is a reality, and not a distant dream,” he said. “This hope is the greatest revolution brought about by the Abraham Accords, and we are seeing this dramatic sea change throughout the Middle East.”
In this context, Herzog cited Israel’s relatively new partnerships with Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Morocco, as well as of “our deeply respected, traditional partners, Egypt and Jordan.”
He also enthused about “the encouraging opportunity to turn a new leaf with Turkey” and the evolving collaboration with countries in the region.