President Herzog Receives Diplomatic Credentials of New Ambassadors to Israel, as Chile and Honduras Return Ambassadors for the First Time Since October 7th

President Herzog on the steps taken by the Board of Peace on Gaza: “This is a very positive step, with the clear caveat and undertaking that Hamas must be disarmed fully. This is clearly the basis of moving forward to the next phase by bringing in the government of technocrats”

On August 3, 2026, President Isaac Herzog received the diplomatic credentials of six new Ambassadors to Israel, including from Chile and Honduras, whose countries returned Ambassadors to Israel for the first time since October 7th. In formal ceremonies held at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, the new Ambassadors of Germany, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff; Chile, Gabriel Alejandro Zaliasnik Schilkurt; Honduras, Jose Luis Nunez Bennet; Nigeria, Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu; Georgia, Beka Dvali; and Sri Lanka, Saman Kumar Chandrasiri, all presented their diplomatic credentials.

Upon receiving the diplomatic credentials of the new ambassadors, President Herzog addressed the steps taken on Gaza by the Board of Peace: “I see a lot of positive elements in the efforts of the Board of Peace, under the auspices of President Trump and his leadership. I think his 20-Point Plan, which was adopted by the UN Security Council, and now, moving forward with the guidelines and the agreements that are going to be reached, is a very positive step with the clear caveat and undertaking that Hamas must be disarmed, and I hope Hamas will be disarmed fully. This is clearly the basis of moving forward to the next phase by bringing in the government of technocrats. The efforts of the Americans, the Board of Peace, President Trump, and CEO of the Board of Peace Nickolay Mladenov can bring a certain vision of hope, also to the people of Gaza and to the people of Israel. I sincerely hope and pray that we will find ways to move forward with our Palestinian neighbors on all fronts, to have a dialogue with our Palestinian neighbors.”

Welcoming the new Ambassador of Germany to Israel, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, President Herzog stated: “I welcome Ambassador Lambsdorff to Israel. The special relationship between Israel and Germany is rooted in a painful history, but today stands as a strong and vibrant partnership across so many fields. I wish Ambassador Lambsdorff every success in continuing to strengthen the important ties between our two nations.”

Greeting Ambassador Zaliasnik of Chile, President Herzog said: “During my excellent meeting with President Kast in May, he informed me that he would be shortly returning Chile’s Ambassador to Israel. I am now delighted to welcome Ambassador Zaliasnik here in Israel, who comes with a message on behalf of all Chileans to increase ties with Israel. This is a milestone in our relations, and I wish him every success as we reinvigorate the important ties between Israel and Chile.”

Upon receiving the new Ambassador of Honduras, President Herzog remarked: “In my recent meeting with my good friend President Asfura of Honduras, I was delighted to hear that Honduras would soon be returning its Ambassador to Israel. I am now pleased to receive the diplomatic credentials of Ambassador Jose Luis Nunez Bennet, as the relations between Israel and Honduras continue to reach new heights.”
President Herzog received the diplomatic credentials of the new Ambassador of Nigeria to Israel, Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu, and underscored Israel’s great respect for the Nigerian nation and people and Nigeria’s leading role in Africa, as well as the importance of the country’s historic ties with Israel.

In his meeting with the Ambassador of Georgia, Beka Dvali, President Herzog highlighted the deep historical ties between Israel and Georgia, with the Georgian Jewish community serving as a bridge between the two nations, and affirmed the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation.

Welcoming Sri Lanka’s new Ambassador to Israel, Saman Kumar Chandrasiri, President Herzog affirmed the importance of people-to-people exchanges between Israel and Sri Lanka and upgrading bilateral ties in a range of fields.