Israeli President Herzog says Oct 7 'wake-up call' changed his view of two-state solution

While attending the World Economic Forum in Switzerland this week, Israeli President Isaac Herzog was asked about his opinion on the “two state solution”, and whether his stance has changed since the Oct. 7, 2023, invasion by Hamas.

Herzog, a former member of the Knesset and leader of the Labor Party, has been a long-time supporter of the two-state solution, but said that he “had a wake-up call following October 7.” 

While he acknowledged “there must be a political move forward on the Palestinian front,” the president did not commit to a Palestinian state.

Herzog also said, “One has to understand the state of mind of Israelis, to come after such a horror and a national trauma, surrounded from seven different frontiers, and expect Israelis to say, ‘Hey guys, we are just – we are withdrawing, we’re pulling out from that settlement,’ or otherwise. That’s not realistic at all. It doesn’t make sense to Israelis. They need to see something that makes sense in terms of their personal security and safety.”

Speaking about the desire for peace, Herzog noted, “We should strive for peace, and they deserve to have peace just like us. But it requires them to disseminate and understand that terror is out of the question under any circumstances. There will be a moment where we’ll have to have real peace with our Palestinian neighbors. I dream of that day, but it will take time.” 

Herzog also believes that including Arab nations from the Abraham Accord as well as more moderate nations like Saudi Arabia are key to continuing discussion about a future Palestinian state. 

Regarding the willingness of Saudi Arabia to enter into an agreement similar to the Abraham accords, Herzog stated “it’s still delicate, it’s fragile, and it will take a long time, but I think that it is actually an opportunity to move forward in the world and the region towards a better future.”