On 11 July, the President of the State of Israel, Isaac Herzog, together with his wife, First Lady Michal Herzog, came to Prague on an official state visit. It was a reflection of the close relations between the two nations, who “share historical affinity that has found expression in moments of crisis and difficulty”, according to President Herzog.
The presidential couple was welcomed to the Czech Republic with a state welcoming ceremony and an honor guard at Prague Castle.
Following a tête-à-tête meeting with the Czech President and the bilateral talks of the delegations, President Herzog once again highlighted the close ties between the two countries: “It is no secret that for several decades, Israel and Czechia have been true partners, learning from each other, supporting each other, and relying on each other.”
Underlining President Zeman’s deep friendship with the Jewish People, his consistent support for Israel on the international stage, and his “zero tolerance“ policy toward terrorism and antisemitism, President Herzog awarded his Czech counterpart the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor, presenting this honor for the first time in his presidency.
During his one-day sojourn in the Czech capital, President Herzog also met with the Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, President of the Czech Senate Miloš Vystrčil, and the Speaker of the Czech Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová. The President also met with Holocaust survivors, and had a tour of the Jewish Quarter. Ambassador of Israel to the Czech Republic, Anna Azari, was very happy to see the renewal of mutual visits, paused by the pandemic, carried out on such a high note: “Being an Ambassador for a long time, I have been part of many high-level visits. However, this one was by far the nicest.”
