The President and the First Lady Michal Herzog, who started a two-day official visit to Switzerland, are staying at the Grand Hôtel Les Trois Rois (Three Kings Hotel) in Basel, in the same room in which Herzl slept during the Fifth Zionist Congress in 1901. The famous photograph of Herzl standing on the balcony of this hotel room became a symbol of the Zionist vision.

Israeli President Herzog reenacted MondayTheodor Herzl’s famous balcony photograph, just as his late father, Israel’s Sixth President, Chaim Herzog, did during his state visit to Switzerland in 1987.

The President and the First Lady Michal Herzog, who started a two-day official visit to Switzerland, are staying at the Grand Hôtel Les Trois Rois (Three Kings Hotel) in Basel, in the same room in which Herzl slept during the Fifth Zionist Congress in 1901. The famous photograph of Herzl standing on the balcony of this hotel room became a symbol of the Zionist vision.

The Israeli President was participating Monday night in a gala event celebrating the 125th anniversary of the First Zionist Congress organized by the World Zionist Organization (WZO) in the Swiss city, in the same venue as the original event: the Stadtcasino Basel concert hall. The venue looks much the same as it did in 1897, when it hosted the First Zionist Congress. On the wall in the hall is a sign describing the important historical event that took place there.

The gala ceremony  brought together more than 1,400 delegates from 40 countries.

Monday morning, Herzog was welcomed by Swiss President Ignazio Cassis to Lohn Manor, at the official estate of the Swiss Federal Council, outside Bern, the capital of the Swiss Confederation, in a ceremony featuring an honor guard.

The Israeli and Swiss national anthems were played, after which the presidents reviewed the Swiss honor guard. After the ceremony, President Herzog and President Cassis held a diplomatic work meeting.

At Lohn Manor, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Israeli and Swiss national science foundations in the presence of both nations’ presidents. The MOU will promote cooperation and create connections and mutual exchanges between research groups and scientific communities in Israel and Switzerland.

‘’The bonds between our nations go back to the earliest days of the Zionist Movement, with the First Zionist Congress in Basel, exactly 125 years ago. I commend your country’s pivotal role in the Jewish people’s historic journey home,’’ ¨President Herzog stated.

He explained that he spent the summer in Switzerland with his family during his childhood.

“I have a large extended family in Switzerland—including aunts, uncles, and cousins—and my brother Joel and his family are proud to serve as leaders of the Jewish community, the historic and great Jewish community, of Geneva,’’ he noted.

Durint their meeting, the two Presidents discussed the situation in the Middle East;

While the Abraham Accords have created new avenues for transforming the region into a hub of stability, peace and prosperity—at the same time Iran and its proxies continue to spread terror and undermine moderate actors,’’ said Herzog.

“I take this opportunity to call upon all governments, and of course the Swiss government, to oppose the Iranian nuclear program, in no uncertain terms. Iran has sworn itself to Israel’s destruction and is working tirelessly to destabilize our region and the entire world;’’ he added.

“We expect the family of nations to make this point crystal clear: the international community, and the nations that so proudly push for international peace, should not accept calls and efforts to eradicate a sovereign member state of the United Nations. Iran’s behavior cannot be met with silence. Iran’s activities cannot go unpunished. And most critically, such a state must not be allowed to possess nuclear capabilities. Iran must be denied such capabilities by all means necessary.’’