42 Facts About Isaac Herzog

Isaac "Bougie" Herzog is an Israeli politician who has been serving since 2021 as the 11th president of Israel.

Isaac Herzog is the first president to have been born in Israel after its Declaration of Independence.

Isaac Herzog was a member of the Knesset from 2003 to 2018.

Isaac Herzog has held several ministerial posts between 2005 and 2011, including serving as Minister of Welfare and Social Services from 2007 to 2011 under prime ministers Ehud Olmert and Benjamin Netanyahu.

Isaac Herzog had served as Chairman of the Labor Party and the Zionist Union alliance from 2013 to 2017.

Isaac Herzog served as Leader of the Opposition from 2013 to 2018 and was the Labor Party candidate for prime minister during the 2015 Israeli legislative election.

Isaac Herzog was elected in the 2021 Israeli presidential election and was inaugurated on 7 July 2021.

Isaac Herzog is the first son of an Israeli president to become president himself.

Isaac Herzog is the son of Major-General Chaim Herzog, who served two terms as the Sixth President of Israel from 1983 to 1993, and Aura Ambache, founder of the Council for a Beautiful Israel.

Isaac Herzog's father was born and raised in Ireland and his mother was born in Egypt; their families were of Eastern European Jewish descent.

When his father served as permanent representative of Israel to the United Nations for three years, Isaac Herzog lived in New York City and attended the Ramaz School.

Isaac Herzog accompanied his father to visit the Lubavitcher Rebbe in Brooklyn.

Isaac Herzog won a seat in the 2003 election as a member of the Labor Party and was appointed Minister of Housing and Construction at his request when Labor joined Ariel Sharon's coalition government on 10 January 2005.

Isaac Herzog was initially appointed Minister of Tourism in Ehud Olmert's Kadima-led coalition but was reassigned to the Social Affairs ministry in March 2007 after Yisrael Beiteinu was awarded the Tourism Ministry following their late entry to the governing coalition, and was appointed Minister of the Diaspora, Society and the Fight Against Antisemitism.

Isaac Herzog was again second on the party's list for the 2009 elections.

Isaac Herzog later resigned from the cabinet after Ehud Barak left the Labor Party to establish Independence in January 2011.

In 2011 Isaac Herzog was an unsuccessful candidate for the Labor Party leadership.

Isaac Herzog finished third in the primaries that year after Shelly Yachimovich and Amir Peretz.

Ten days after the election, Isaac Herzog met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to pledge his support for the two-state solution.

Isaac Herzog reportedly reached out to Shas leader Aryeh Deri to increase cooperation between the two opposition factions.

In June 2014, Isaac Herzog criticized PM Benjamin Netanyahu for failing to engage the international community, failing to present a proposal for peace with Palestinians, and failure to work effectively with the President of the United States, Barack Obama.

Isaac Herzog declared that Netanyahu's "loathing and hostility for Barack Obama" was one of his greatest failures, since it put Israel's security at risk.

In July 2017, Isaac Herzog was eliminated in the first round of the Labor Party leadership vote.

Avi Gabbay went on to win the leadership elections; however, Isaac Herzog remained official leader of the opposition in the Knesset as Gabay was not an elected MK.

In June 2018, Isaac Herzog was unanimously elected chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel.

Isaac Herzog marked bridging the gap between the Jewish people and the State of Israel as one of his objectives.

On October 24,2018, Isaac Herzog led a resolution to reaffirm the Jewish Agency's Board of Governors' commitment to the principles of a democratic Israel as emerging from the Declaration of Independence.

On 19 May 2021, Isaac Herzog announced his candidacy in the 2021 Israeli presidential election.

Isaac Herzog won more votes than any presidential candidate in Israel's history, receiving 87 votes compared to 26 for his opponent Miriam Peretz, and was sworn in on 7 July 2021, becoming the first son of a former Israeli president to become president.

Since entering the Israeli presidency, Isaac Herzog has conducted a number of major state visits.

On 30 January 2022, Isaac Herzog conducted a historic state visit to the United Arab Emirates.

In March 2022, Isaac Herzog embarked on a regional tour of neighboring Mediterranean states, taking in Greece, Cyprus, and a state visit to Turkey together with the First Lady, as the guests of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Emine.

In October 2021, Isaac Herzog announced the establishment of the Israeli Climate Forum under the auspices of the Office of the President, appointing former Member of Knesset Dov Khenin as the forum's chairman.

In December 2021, Isaac Herzog launched his "Think Good" campaign, with the objective of combating cyberbullying.

In October 2023, Isaac Herzog accused the residents of the Gaza Strip of collective responsibility for the Hamas attack on Israel.

On 17 October 2023, Isaac Herzog said that accusations that Israel caused the al-Ahli Arab Hospital explosion were "a 21st-century blood libel".

On 1 December 2023, Isaac Herzog attended the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where he met with Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Isaac Herzog called South Africa's genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice a "blood libel" against Jews.

On 28 March 2024, Isaac Herzog said he considered US President Joe Biden to be a "great friend of Israel".

Isaac Herzog denied any Israeli involvement in the 2024 Lebanon pager explosions.

On 12 November 2024, Isaac Herzog arrived in Washington, DC for a state visit and met with US President Joe Biden.

Isaac Herzog is married to Michal, a lawyer, and has three sons.