Israeli president visits Serbia to boost solidarity for hostages and bilateral economic cooperation

While in Serbia, Herzog will participate in a memorial ceremony for Holocaust victims and meet members of the local Jewish community.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Israeli President Isaac Herzog kicked off a two-day visit to the Balkans on Wednesday morning meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in Belgrade.

Herzog was accompanied by Idit Ohel, an Israeli of Serbian origin, whose son Alon, was taken hostage on October 7 by Hamas as he sought to escape the Nova Festival. Alon remains held captive in Gaza.

“You mentioned so graciously and emotionally the plight of 101 Israeli hostages – hostages who are from various nationalities,” Herzog told Vučić.

“One of them is Alon Ohel, a young Israeli of Serbian origin, who is a musician, an incredible kid, who was there at the music festival. His mother is here, Idit, with a picture of her son. The world must remember and know that the plight and the return of the hostages should be the utmost objective of the international community.”

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić, who greeted Herzog on his arrival in Belgrade, is related to Ohel.

Herzog’s visit will center on enhancing international cooperation in the realms of security, strategy, and economics, with a particular focus on efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.

While in Serbia, Herzog participated in a memorial ceremony for Holocaust victims and met members of the local Jewish community.

I stood today in remembrance and sorrow with the Jewish community in Belgrade, at the monument to Jewish victims of the greatest tragedy that has befallen our people. The shadow of antisemitism is far from a distant memory. Today we face this ancient evil as our brave soldiers… pic.twitter.com/9QXS9yrDJI

— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) September 11, 2024

Herzog is accompanied by a delegation of business leaders and officials who will explore opportunities for industrial and economic cooperation with their Serbian and Albanian counterparts.

Herzog will next travel to Tirana, Albania’s capital, at the invitation of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and President Bejarem Begj. It will mark the first ever visit by an Israeli leader to Albania, a predominantly Muslim country.

Herzog will meet with the descendants of Albanian citizens recognized as “Righteous Among the Nations” for their efforts in saving Jews during the Holocaust, and also attend a ceremony at Tirana’s Holocaust memorial.

Herzog is accompanied by a delegation of business leaders and officials who will explore opportunities for industrial and economic cooperation with their Serbian and Albanian counterparts.

Isaac HerzogPresident Aleksandar VučićSerbia