President Herzog interview: ‘British Jews feel besieged – Starmer must do more to fight antisemitism’

He recalled how, even on the flight to the UK, members of the community approached him to express their fears:

“When I flew commercial, many Jewish Brits came to me and said, ‘Thank you for coming to support us, thank you for standing up to voices you hear from our government.’ Jews are feeling besieged.”

Herzog linked those concerns directly to Britain’s political debate. Ahead of his meeting with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, he said the prime minister  must do more both to confront antisemitism and to grasp the reality of Israel’s fight against terror.

“There is terrible antisemitism in his own country. I don’t know if he is using all the tools and means necessary. He has to understand it is his responsibility, he can’t blame Israel.

“What would Britain do if it was in its own courtyard? They would have done the same as Israel, absolutely. Britain knows how to fight when it wants to.”

Herzog also spoke bluntly about Starmer’s position on Palestinian statehood.

“I think he is making a huge mistake on the Palestinian issue. Why are they doing this when we have to negotiate a hostage deal? Recognising Palestine now is a huge mistake. It could flare up the entire region for nothing.”

He added that Israel remained focused on dismantling Hamas’s leadership. Speaking as news of the Qatar strike broke, he said:  “There was an idea to eradicate the entire leadership of Hamas. It would have been better for the world. I don’t know if they are dead or not, but I hope they are. What we need now is a hostage deal – and then this moment will end.”

Asked about splits within the British Jewish community over the war in Gaza, Herzog acknowledged the tensions but stressed they were not unique.

“Israelis are unaware of it, they should know more about it. I am aware of it, of course, it is a mirror image of the debates occurring in Israel as well. It is not something new. You should know that throughout Jewish history and especially…when the story of Zionism emerged, there were divides and splits all the time. Especially in the US, the largest Jewish diaspora community, there are quite a lot of Jews who are unaffiliated, who are perplexed, who are asking questions.”

He emphasised that he was determined to take every opinion seriously, including those that are critical of Israel.

“Part of my visit is to say, I listen to those voices as well. You should never forget – Israel is a democracy. Israel was attacked on October 7, we went through hell. If only they would release our hostages, the whole region would look different. That is the key to change.”

Herzog also turned his attention to the international debate, accusing Israel’s critics of fuelling a campaign of disinformation.

“There is a brainwashing machine, which is extremely dangerous, which is aimed at undermining Israel. It's full of money, it’s the huge engine of digital warfare.”

But he stressed that Israel was not without allies.

“I must say there are many friends of Israel as well, there are many voices of reason and moral clarity. European political systems have shown there are other voices as well.

“You have people who stand up and we know there is enormous brainwashing, but it’s not that it is over and out. I see in Holland, in France, I see in other countries, there are major questions related to the attitudes toward Israel.”

When asked why so many Western leaders appeared to be turning against Israel, Herzog said many privately confessed they understood Israel’s position but cited political realities at home.

“I argue, everyday I speak to world leaders, many of them are my friends, and some of them admit in closed quarters that they know I am right, ‘but the streets,’ they say, ‘the streets, you don’t know what I am going through in our political system.’

“An important European leader told me the other day: ‘You know I don’t mind losing my seat, because I love Israel, but you have no idea what we are going through.’”

Herzog closed with a historical reflection, noting that Britain and Israel had endured possibly much more difficult tensions before.

“We were not here when the (Jewish) underground in Palestine attacked the British forces. We cannot judge if it was worse, only the JC was there,” he said, noting the Jewish Chronicle’s pedigree as the oldest continuously published Jewish newspaper.

“We all had difficult moments. I hope this moment will end, we just need a hostage deal.”