Israel’s President Isaac Herzog President Herzog will make an official visit to Switzerland on Monday during which he will meet Swiss President Ignazio Cassis and senior government.
During the visit, a groundbreaking agreement between the Israeli and Swiss national science foundations will be signed in the presence of the two presidents.
The highlight of Herzog’s visit will be the President and First Lady’s participation in a gala event in Basel celebrating the 125th anniversary of the First Zionist Congress. The event organized by the World Zionist Organization (WZO) will be attended by thousands of delegates from Israel and around the world.
President Herzog will meet senior officials of the Government of the Canton of Basel-Stadt, where his visit will take place, and the leaders of all the Jewish communities of Switzerland and representatives of the country’s various Jewish organizations.
“Switzerland is an important country on a global level, as reflected both in international organizations, including the Red Cross, and on the European diplomatic stage,’’ Herzog said ahead of his visit.
‘’I shall meet President Cassis and discuss important diplomatic, security, and economic issues with him, including the strengthening of our partnership in the fields of scientific and technological R&D.’’
He added, “The heart of this visit is a historic milestone: The 125th anniversary of the First Zionist Congress in Basel, which was a formative event for the Jewish People and for humanity at large. Zionism is the ideal combination of Judaism’s deepest roots with groundbreaking innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. As the president of the nation-state of the Jewish People, I am astonished and filled with pride every day anew at the sight of Herzl’s vision coming to life in front of our eyes, and I feel the heavy duty and responsibility for the future of the State of Israel and the Jewish People.”