During the two-day visit, President Herzog will meet the King of Belgium, the President of the European Commission, the President of the European Parliament, the Secretary-General of NATO, and representatives of the Jewish communities of Brussels and Antwerp. The centerpiece of the visit will be the President’s speech at a special session of the European Parliament on the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

At the invitation of European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, Israeli President Isaac Herzog will address theEU assembly in Brussels on Thursday at a special session on the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day and in the presence of Holocaust survivors.

Herzog, who will arrive in the Belgian capital on Wednesday for a two-day visit, will also meet with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

Upon his arrival, the Israeli president will be received by Belgium’s King Philippe at the Royal Palace where they will hold a meeting.

Ahead of his visit, Herzog said; “This is an important and exceptional visit to the institutions of the European Union. Belgium is a close friend of Israel and I am sure that my meetings with the King and government officials will act as a catalyst for many collaborations with it.’’

On Wednesday, he will also will visit the Great Synagogue of Europe in Brussels, where he will meet members of the Jewish communities of Brussels and Antwerp.  Herzog will then visit the Athénée Ganenou Jewish school where he will meet pupils of all ages.

He will end his visit on Thursday with a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and representatives of NATO member states, whom he will brief about Israel’s strategic situation.

“The centerpiece of the visit, at the event to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, where I shall address the European Parliament, fills me with a sense of sacred trepidation. We must never forget that the Holocaust, the darkest abyss in human history, grew out of the fertile soil of the antisemitism that had spread through Europe for generations and tragically is rearing its head in many forms in the present day,’’ Herzog stated.

‘’ The historical responsibility borne by the whole family of nations—and the nations of Europe in particular—requires us to not only deepen our remembrance and commemoration but also to draw lessons, to educate, and to wage a persistent, determined, and most importantly common battle against antisemitism, racism, and xenophobia,’’ the president added.