President Herzog to UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock at Davos: “It is unacceptable that shameful international politics are being used by international legal forums to prevent senior Israelis from the only democracy in the Middle East from attending the World Economic Forum”

President Herzog: “Preventing PM Netanyahu from attending a global forum aiming to shape the future of the Middle East by such legal tools is a reward for terror”

On Tuesday, January 20, 2026, President Isaac Herzog arrived in Davos ahead of his participation in the World Economic Forum. Upon his arrival, President Herzog met with the President of the United Nations General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock. During their meeting, President Herzog stated that he intends to raise at the conference the issue of the exclusion of senior Israelis from international forums, as well as the revocation of the sanctions imposed by the International Criminal Court.

President Isaac Herzog: “It is unacceptable that shameful international politics—repeatedly weaponized against the State of Israel—are being used by international legal forums to prevent senior Israelis from the only democracy in the Middle East from attending the World Economic Forum summit in Davos, a conference that aims to shape the future of the world and the Middle East. Israel is not only fighting to protect its people, it is on the front line defending the entire free world against the Iranian regime’s empire of evil and its terror proxies.

“Preventing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, or, for that matter, the former Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, from attending a global forum aiming to shape the future of the Middle East by such legal means is a reward for terror. Those who truly want to “build trust” cannot exclude those who are on the front lines of the struggle. Israel’s leaders and decision makers should be welcomed everywhere, on every stage.

“It is essential that the international community and European nations take action to bring this shameful episode of the imposition of illegitimate sanctions to a swift end.”