Son of former Israeli presidentChaim Herzog, he is a lawyer by profession and had served as Government Secretary from 1999 to 2001. He was a member of theKnesset from 2003 to 2018. He has held several ministerial posts between 2005 and 2011, including serving asMinister of Welfare and Social Services from 2007 to 2011 under prime ministersEhud Olmert andBenjamin Netanyahu.
Herzog had served as Chairman of theLabor Party and the Zionist Union alliance from 2013 to 2017. He served asLeader of the Opposition from 2013 to 2018 and was the Labor Party candidate for prime minister during the2015 Israeli legislative election. Herzog was elected in the2021 Israeli presidential election and was inaugurated on 7 July 2021. He is the first son of an Israeli president to become president himself.
Although he did not win a seat in the1999 elections, Herzog served as thesecretary of the government inEhud Barak's cabinet until 2001 when Barak was defeated byAriel Sharon in a specialelection for prime minister.[8] In 1999, he was also investigated in the "Amutot Barak" scandal (a scandal involving allegations that the party funding law was violated), but maintained hissilence.[8] The Attorney General, therefore, decided to close the case against him due to lack of evidence. From 2000 until 2003, he served as chairman of theIsrael Anti-Drug Authority.
Herzog won a seat in the2003 election as a member of the Labor Party and was appointedMinister of Housing and Construction at his request when Labor joinedAriel Sharon's coalition government on 10 January 2005. However, on 23 November 2005, he resigned from his cabinet post along with the rest of the party. Prior to the2006 elections, Herzog won second place onLabor's list in the party's primaries. He was initially appointed Minister of Tourism inEhud Olmert'sKadima-led coalition but was reassigned to the Social Affairs ministry in March 2007 afterYisrael Beiteinu was awarded the Tourism Ministry following their late entry to the governing coalition, and was also appointed Minister of the Diaspora, Society and the Fight Against Antisemitism. He was again second on the party's list for the2009 elections. Following the election, he was appointedMinister of Welfare and Social Services and Minister of the Diaspora. In January 2009 he was appointed by PMEhud Olmert as the Israel Government Coordinator for the provision of humanitarian aid to the population of Gaza. He later resigned from the cabinet afterEhud Barak left the Labor Party to establishIndependence in January 2011.[9]
Herzog reportedly reached out toShas leaderAryeh Deri to increase cooperation between the two opposition factions.[13]
In June 2014, Herzog criticised PMBenjamin Netanyahu for failing to engage the international community, failing to present a proposal for peace with Palestinians, and failure to work effectively with the President of the United States,Barack Obama. Herzog declared that Netanyahu's "loathing and hostility for Barack Obama" was one of his greatest failures, since it put Israel's security at risk.[14]
With the governing coalition dissolving and new elections expected in March 2015, Herzog called on Hatnua and Kadima parties to join his Labor Party in forming a new coalition. In an interview withYnet, he stated, "I am capable of replacing Netanyahu. I will do everything in order to establish a bloc before the elections."[15] Shortly thereafter, Herzog andTzipi Livni, who was justice minister and is head of a centrist faction, announced they would campaign on a joint slate in the upcoming election in an effort to keep Netanyahu, leader of theLikud Party, from securing a fourth term as prime minister.[16] The joint list was namedZionist Union, winning 24 seats to Likud's 30 in the2015 election, making it the largestOpposition faction.
In July 2017, Herzog was eliminated in the first round ofthe Labor Party leadership vote.Avi Gabbay went on to win the leadership elections; however, Herzog remained official leader of the opposition in the Knesset as Gabay was not an elected MK. After being elected chairman of theJewish Agency for Israel, Herzog resigned as Leader of the Opposition and from the Knesset.Tzipi Livni succeeded him as Leader of the Opposition, whilstRobert Tiviaev replaced him in the Knesset.
Chairman of the Jewish Agency
In June 2018, Herzog was unanimously elected chairman of theJewish Agency for Israel.[17] Herzog marked bridging the gap between the Jewish people and the State of Israel as one of his objectives.[18] In an interview on Ynet news, Herzog stated that he views intermarriage between Jews and non-Jews as a plague to which there must be a solution.[19] On 24 October 2018, Herzog led a resolution to reaffirm the Jewish Agency's Board of Governors' commitment to the principles of a democratic Israel as emerging from the Declaration of Independence.[20]
Following thePittsburgh synagogue shooting, Herzog expressed his concern from the rising anti-Semitism all over the world.[21] In theInternational Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at theEuropean Parliament in Brussels he urged the leaders of European countries to fight anti-Semitism and to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism.[22] In March 2019, the Jewish Agency became the first public institution in Israel to help employees finance surrogacy services abroad so that they can become parents (this includes gay and single parents).[23]
President of Israel
Herzog with Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Ukraine, October 2021Herzog with President of the European CommissionUrsula von der Leyen in Brussels, 2023
On 19 May 2021, Herzog announced his candidacy in the2021 Israeli presidential election.[24] On 2 June 2021, he was elected as president by theKnesset.[25] He won more votes than any presidential candidate in Israel's history, receiving 87 votes compared to 26 for his opponentMiriam Peretz, and was sworn in on 7 July 2021, becoming the first son of aformer Israeli president to also become president.[26]
In his inaugural speech asPresident of the State of Israel, on 7 July 2021, Herzog called for the healing of rifts in Israeli society and the building of bridges within Israel and between Israel and the Jewish Diaspora. Herzog said: "We must remember that it was baseless hatred that led to the destruction of theFirst and Second Temples. The same baseless hatred, the same factionalism and polarization that claim such a heavy price from us—nowadays, and every day. The heaviest price of all is the erosion of our national resilience." Herzog also emphasized the importance of confronting theclimate crisis.[27][28]
Since entering the Israeli presidency, Herzog has conducted a number of major state visits. On 30 January 2022, Herzog conducted a historic state visit to theUnited Arab Emirates.[29] In March 2022, Herzog embarked on a regional tour of neighboring Mediterranean states, taking inGreece,Cyprus, and a state visit toTurkey together with First LadyMichal Herzog, as the guests of PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdoğan and his wifeEmine. Following months of dialogue since Herzog's election as president, the presidents met for a summit at thePresidential Complex inAnkara, symbolizing their countries' desire to move on from a period of tense relations. During the visit, Herzog addressed the "baggage of the past", which he said "never disappears of its own accord", and underscored that the Israeli-Turkish relationship would be determined by both states' actions.[30] In the latter part of his Turkish visit, as part of a broader policy of strengthening relations with the Jewish Diaspora during foreign engagements, Herzog and his wifeMichal visited theIstanbul Jewish community at theNeve Shalom Synagogue, the target of various terror attacks over the years.[31]
On 29 March 2022, Herzog conducted a historic first public visit by an Israeli leader toAmman,Jordan, during which he metKing Abdullah II, with whom he discussed to deepen theIsraeli–Jordanian relationship, maintain regional stability, and bolster peace and normalization.[32]
Further to his declared objective of embarking on a journey within Israeli society, and as part of his public engagements in Israel and visits to its diverse communities, on 29 October 2021 Herzog participated in a memorial for the victims of the 1956Kafr Qasim massacre and apologized on behalf of the State of Israel, making him the first Israeli official to ask for forgiveness at the official ceremony inKafr Qasim. In his speech, Herzog said: "The killing and injury of innocents are absolutely forbidden. They must remain beyond all political arguments."[33]
Herzog with British Prime MinisterRishi Sunak in November 2022
In October 2021, Herzog announced the establishment of the Israeli Climate Forum under the auspices of the Office of the President, appointing former Member of KnessetDov Khenin as the forum's chairman. The forum oversees a number of working groups focusing on different issues and brings together public officials and private citizens to coordinate efforts to combat the climate crisis.[34][35] In his "Renewable Middle East" speech, delivered at theHaaretz Climate Change Forum, Herzog spelled out a vision for how the climate crisis presented opportunities for regional cooperation across the Middle East andMediterranean Basin.[36]
On 28 November 2021, Herzog lit candles for the first night ofHanukkah at theCave of the Patriarchs inHebron, attracting left-wing criticism. Visiting Hebron, Herzog declared that recognition of the Jewish people's historical attachments to Hebron "must be beyond all controversy".[37]
In December 2021, Herzog launched his "Think Good" campaign, with the objective of combating cyberbullying. The campaign, in collaboration withMeta, promoted respectful and inclusive discourse online.[38]
During Herzog's 2024 visit to theWorld Economic Forum in Switzerland, the Swiss Federal Prosecutor's Office announced that it was investigating a criminal complaint against him. The nature of the complaint was not disclosed but is believed to be related to theGaza war.[46][47]
Herzog initially denied any Israeli involvement in the2024 Lebanon pager explosions, despite Israel later acknowledging responsibility.[50]
Herzog with U.S. PresidentJoe Biden at the White House in Washington, D.C., 12 November 2024
On 12 November 2024, Herzog arrived in Washington, D.C. for a state visit and met with U.S. President Joe Biden. He told Biden: "In the Bible, it says thatJoseph will strengthen Israel. And clearly, Mr. President, you've done that."[51]
On 21 November 2024, the UN-backedInternational Criminal Court (ICC) issuedarrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence MinisterYoav Gallant. Herzog condemned the ICC's decision, saying, "It ignores Hamas's cynical use of its own people ashuman shields. It ignores the basic fact that Israel was barbarically attacked and has the duty and right to defend its people. It ignores the fact that Israel is a vibrant democracy, acting under international humanitarian law, and going to great lengths to provide for the humanitarian needs of the civilian population."[52]
In 2025, Herzog'sVoice of the People initiative to gather a range of Jewish voices from all over the world to discuss issues and challenges affecting the Jewish people and to transform this dialogue into actionable strategies took place.[53][54] He met withPope Leo XIV in September 2025: the Vatican's press release states that "hope was expressed" during their discussion "for a prompt resumption of negotiations" regarding theIsraeli hostages held by Hamas and the ending of the Gaza conflict.[55]
On 30 November 2025, Netanyahu formally asked Herzog for a pardon on hiscorruption cases,[56] and Herzog reiterated that "the well-being of the Israeli people is my first, second, and third priority".[57]
After Australian Prime MinisterAnthony Albanese announced that he had invited Herzog to visit Australia in February 2026 to comfort the Jewish community in the wake of the2025 Bondi Beach shooting, protests were sparked due to Herzog's involvement with theGaza war.[58] Some members of the governingLabor Party inNew South Wales indicated that they would protest Herzog's visit.[59] Police presence was increased aroundSydney for his visit,[60] and large protests were held in every capital city on each day of his stay.[61] TheNew South Wales Police watchdog launched an investigation into the conduct of police officers after there were violent clashes between police and protesters in Sydney.[62]
Personal life
Herzog is married toMichal, a lawyer, and has three sons. He resides in his childhood home in theTzahala neighborhood of Tel Aviv.[63]
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