President Isaac Herzog met today (Wednesday, 25 October 2023), in Tel Aviv with Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala, who was visiting Israel to show solidarity with the Israeli people following the horrific terror attack by Hamas on October 7th.
President Herzog:
"Welcome Prime Minister. The Czech Republic was the first one to stand by us when the tragedy erupted. Immediately you sent your Foreign Minister – he was the first world leader, the first Foreign Minister to come to Israel, then a major coalition of nations has supported us as we are in one of our darkest moments since the establishment of the State of Israel. We are facing an enormous tragedy, huge pain, the worst atrocities of humankind. And we're also seeing who our friends are and who is with us, and we will never forget that friendship.
Thank you for coming in and being with us. What we are doing now right now, we are doing two things. We want to see the hostages back safely, fully, in Israel, and to of course, make sure that the power of our enemies is undermined and eradicated so that our citizens can live in peace. And there's a sense as if it conflicts but it does not. We will deal with bringing back the hostages and we will also deal with fighting our enemies. Thank you for coming and being with us at this moment.”
Prime Minister Fiala:
“Thank you Mr. President. The Czech Republic stands with Israel always. Over 75, you have seen so many difficult days. We are with your country. We are your strong supporter. We are your voice in Europe. We believe that you have the full right to defend your country – not only your country, but your existence. This is also not only for your country, but also for all Europe and Western democracies, it is very important to defeat Hamas and to have peace in this region. We come with Czech Republic, and I hope that you will have very soon, peace and security for your people here in Israel.”