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President Isaac Herzog of Israel conducted today, Tuesday, a State visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
At the start of the brief visit, the President was received by President Félix Tshisekedi in an official ceremony at the Presidential Palace, followed by a diplomatic meeting between the two leaders.
At the conclusion of their meeting, the Presidents delivered statements to the media.
At the beginning of his remarks, President Herzog offered condolences to the Goldin family: “As we stand here, the State of Israel is mourning with the Goldin family as they lay their son, Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, to rest. He was taken captive and killed in Gaza in the summer of 2014. We waited for his return for years. The entire international community was focused on this, and now, following the tremendous efforts of President Trump and the ceasefire agreement with Gaza, we can finally bring him home for a dignified burial in Israel. And as you mentioned, Mr. President, we still have four hostages, and we want to see them all come home. We send our condolences to Hadar’s parents and his beautiful family, even here from Africa.”
The President continued: “My dear friend, since your visit to Israel in 2021, I have hoped for the privilege to visit your wonderful country, and I thank you for the warm and heartfelt welcome I received here today. I bring with me from the Holy Land, and from the Holy City of Jerusalem, the blessings of all the citizens of Israel, who share with me a deep affection, respect, and curiosity toward Africa and toward this beautiful country, the Democratic Republic of Congo. Our nations share much in common. Of course, we have a profound biblical connection, but also a genuine friendship that has endured for decades. As you rightly mentioned, my father, Chaim Herzog, who was Israel’s sixth President, made a historic state visit to this country over forty years ago, and I know how deeply moved and appreciative he was to have paved the way for friendship between our peoples. For me, it is deeply meaningful to follow in his footsteps not only physically, but also to continue that same vision of friendship between our nations. I know he would be proud to see all that has grown and flourished over these decades in this important and significant country.”
“There is no doubt that much more can be done and we discussed this in depth. I am very pleased that we are here together now to deepen and broaden our dialogue on how to achieve these goals, and we were delighted and inspired to hear your vision. Naturally, we will now act to upgrade our relations. Beyond that, our alliance also carries great value in the pursuit of justice in the international arena. In Israel, we applaud and welcome the election of the Democratic Republic of Congo to a seat on the United Nations Security Council beginning this coming January. I am confident that the courage, dignity, and integrity that have characterized your leadership will continue to serve humanity well in the Security Council. We are deeply grateful for your support within the African Union, where Israel must have a central role and standing, for Africa has been so important to the Jewish people for generations, and there is no reason for African nations to push us aside. Mr. President, conflicts are not confined to the Middle East. I hope that Africa, too, will receive the world’s attention and assistance in resolving its conflicts and crises. Therefore, I welcome the efforts of the United States of America, under the leadership of President Donald Trump, to achieve a peace agreement between you and Rwanda.
“There are also other major humanitarian crises in Africa, such as in Sudan, and I hope that the eyes of the world will turn there, rather than focusing obsessively on Israel.
“My profound hope, my friend, is that our two nations will ensure peace and stability that will bless our peoples, our regions, and the entire world. I thank you for the warm welcome and hospitality. Let us continue walking together in a spirit of friendship and brotherhood, as we face the challenges of the future with faith, optimism, and deep friendship.”
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