President Herzog Hosts Diplomatic Reception on Israel’s 78th Independence Day

President Herzog: “My dream is to get into a car and drive straight to Beirut, to visit that beautiful city, to befriend the good people of Lebanon”

On April 22, 2026, President Isaac Herzog hosted a reception for ambassadors, diplomats, military attachés, and faith leaders in honor of Israel’s 78th Independence Day at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem. The event was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gideon Sa’ar, and ambassadors from around the world. In a moving moment, former hostage Alon Ohel and his brother Ronen performed on stage during the ceremony.

President Isaac Herzog:

“We are delighted to welcome you to the President’s Residence to celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut, 78 years of Israel’s independence.

“These are historic times we are living in. Times of tectonic shifts in the Middle East that I pray will usher in a hopeful future. This is a time in which the choices made by leaders and nations, even at this very moment, can shape our region for generations to come.
 
“I take this opportunity to thank President Donald J. Trump and the United States of America for the unique partnership in confronting the empire of evil from Iran and pursuing a historic change, and I welcome the representatives of the American Armed Forces here this morning.
 
“The war against Iran and its many proxies is not a war of choice. There comes a time in which a country must fight for itself, fight to defend its people, and ensure its future. Iran aims to obliterate Israel, to dominate the Middle East, and to overthrow the values nurtured by the entire free world, so this is a battle for the future of all of our children.
 
“When Israel’s First President, Dr. Chaim Weizmann, first hosted this reception in 1949, then in Tel Aviv, naturally there was not a single diplomatic representative of an Arab or Muslim nation. But here today, we wholeheartedly welcome diplomats from Arab and Muslim countries from all across who represent the hope for peace and the fraternity to which we aspire.
 
“I pray we will see more and more countries joining the Abraham Accords, just as we have here representatives from the UAE and Bahrain, and more nations from our region normalizing relations with us. Already we are seeing that the partnerships we have forged to combat the axis of terror and extremism are generating opportunities for a new alliance to take shape in our region: an alliance of responsibility, pragmatism, and hope.
 
“Israel is eager to work with all of you to help shape a Middle East in which all of our sons and daughters can inherit opportunity instead of fear. That they inherit the promises of tomorrow, and not the conflicts of yesterday. I recently said to Israeli school kids that my dream is to get into a car and drive straight to Beirut, to visit that beautiful city, to befriend the good people of Lebanon, those who share a prayer with us for a better future. I salute the teams who will hopefully gather tomorrow in Washington, D.C., and wish them great success in pursuing peace between Israel and Lebanon. But in order to reach that point, Israel must ensure the safety of its borders.
“I pray that, Please God, when we all gather again next year, may we speak of the war only in the past tense, and enjoy the blessings of peace, in Israel, with our neighbors, near and far and all around the world! Happy Independence Day!”