Attached: Photos of President Herzog visiting Kibbutz Manara
Credits: Ma'ayan Toaf (GPO)
Credits: Ma'ayan Toaf (GPO)
Attached:
Photos of President Herzog 's previous visit to Kibbutz Manara in December 2024.
Credits: Amos Ben Gershom (GPO)
Photos of the Kiryat Shemona restaurant hit by a Hezbollah missile during the war.
Credits: Kiryat Shemona Municipality
Photos of President Herzog 's previous visit to Kibbutz Manara in December 2024.
Credits: Amos Ben Gershom (GPO)
Photos of the Kiryat Shemona restaurant hit by a Hezbollah missile during the war.
Credits: Kiryat Shemona Municipality
Prime Minister Netanyahu meets with prospective Gaza Board of Peace Director Mladenov
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met today (Thursday, 8 January 2026), at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, with Nickolay Mladenov, who is set to become the Director of the Gaza Strip Board of Peace.
The Prime Minister reiterated that Hamas must be disarmed and the Gaza Strip must be demilitarized in accordance with the 20-point plan of President Trump.
Attached photo credit: Amos Ben Gershom (GPO)
Video link: https://youtu.be/R89h6R0yYdk?si=7LcggLAX-GLXwP2N
Video credit: Roi Avraham (GPO)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met today (Thursday, 8 January 2026), at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, with Nickolay Mladenov, who is set to become the Director of the Gaza Strip Board of Peace.
The Prime Minister reiterated that Hamas must be disarmed and the Gaza Strip must be demilitarized in accordance with the 20-point plan of President Trump.
Attached photo credit: Amos Ben Gershom (GPO)
Video link: https://youtu.be/R89h6R0yYdk?si=7LcggLAX-GLXwP2N
Video credit: Roi Avraham (GPO)
Remarks by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Start of Today's Government Meeting
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Sunday, 11 January 2026), at the start of the Government meeting [translated from Hebrew]:
"Israel is closely monitoring the events unfolding in Iran. The protests for freedom have spread throughout the country. The people of Israel, and the entire world, stand in awe of the immense bravery of Iran's citizens.
Israel supports their struggle for freedom and firmly condemns the mass killings of innocent civilians.
We all hope that the Persian nation will soon be liberated from the yoke of tyranny, and when that day comes, Israel and Iran will once again be faithful partners in building a future of prosperity and peace for both nations."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Sunday, 11 January 2026), at the start of the Government meeting [translated from Hebrew]:
"Israel is closely monitoring the events unfolding in Iran. The protests for freedom have spread throughout the country. The people of Israel, and the entire world, stand in awe of the immense bravery of Iran's citizens.
Israel supports their struggle for freedom and firmly condemns the mass killings of innocent civilians.
We all hope that the Persian nation will soon be liberated from the yoke of tyranny, and when that day comes, Israel and Iran will once again be faithful partners in building a future of prosperity and peace for both nations."
(Communicated by the President's Spokesperson)
Sunday, 11 January 2026 / 22 Tevet 5786
Update to the Schedule of the President for Monday, January 12, 2026
Tomorrow at 9:00, President Isaac Herzog will meet with the Japanese Foreign Minister, Motegi Toshimitsu, at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.
The meeting will be documented by the Government Press Office (GPO). Materials will be distributed upon conclusion.
——
At 12:00, President Herzog will host Christian leaders in the Holy Land for the traditional annual New Year’s reception at the President’s Residence.
The event will be open to media coverage for pre-registered media. Media registration will be open until tomorrow (Monday), at 09:30, via email: dover@presidentherzog.com. Media arrival will be permitted until 11:00 with valid identification, a valid GPO press card, and subject to security screening. In addition, the event will be documented by the GPO, and materials will be distributed upon conclusion.
Benjamin Lee, benjaminl@president.gov.il, 050-6169572
Sunday, 11 January 2026 / 22 Tevet 5786
Update to the Schedule of the President for Monday, January 12, 2026
Tomorrow at 9:00, President Isaac Herzog will meet with the Japanese Foreign Minister, Motegi Toshimitsu, at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.
The meeting will be documented by the Government Press Office (GPO). Materials will be distributed upon conclusion.
——
At 12:00, President Herzog will host Christian leaders in the Holy Land for the traditional annual New Year’s reception at the President’s Residence.
The event will be open to media coverage for pre-registered media. Media registration will be open until tomorrow (Monday), at 09:30, via email: dover@presidentherzog.com. Media arrival will be permitted until 11:00 with valid identification, a valid GPO press card, and subject to security screening. In addition, the event will be documented by the GPO, and materials will be distributed upon conclusion.
Benjamin Lee, benjaminl@president.gov.il, 050-6169572
Prime Minister Netanyahu meets with the Foreign Minister of Japan
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met today (Sunday, 11 January 2026), at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, with the Foreign Minister of Japan.
The Prime Minister welcomed the Foreign Minister and the delegation members on their visit to Israel, and thanked them for their support.
In the meeting, the parties discussed the continued cooperation between the two countries and meeting the challenges in the region.
Attached photo credit: Kobi Gideon (GPO)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met today (Sunday, 11 January 2026), at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, with the Foreign Minister of Japan.
The Prime Minister welcomed the Foreign Minister and the delegation members on their visit to Israel, and thanked them for their support.
In the meeting, the parties discussed the continued cooperation between the two countries and meeting the challenges in the region.
Attached photo credit: Kobi Gideon (GPO)
Statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Sunday, 11 January 2026):
"I attach enormous importance to the overall cooperation between Israel and Germany, and especially Israel and Germany on this question of cybersecurity, which is one of the main threats to our internal security, and in many ways also our infrastructure and other threats.
And I think Germany and Israel are natural partners. We've cooperated on the Arrow III, we've cooperated in many areas. We cooperate technologically. Chancellor Mertz was here recently, we talked about defense cooperation.
And now I'm very pleased to welcome a dear friend of Israel, Minister Dobrindt, to sign this important pact. So, thank you for your friendship, thank you for your support, and please convey this to your government as well."
Translated from Hebrew:
"I have just signed a cyber defense cooperation agreement with the German Interior Minister, a great friend of Israel. This reflects the growing closeness of many countries and major powers like Germany, and there are others, of course, that you are familiar with, which seek cooperation with us and want to promote not only security matters but also economic ones. The State of Israel is on the rise."
Video credit: Omer Miron (GPO) / Sound credit: Ben Peretz (GPO)
Attached photo credits: Kobi Gideon (GPO)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Sunday, 11 January 2026):
"I attach enormous importance to the overall cooperation between Israel and Germany, and especially Israel and Germany on this question of cybersecurity, which is one of the main threats to our internal security, and in many ways also our infrastructure and other threats.
And I think Germany and Israel are natural partners. We've cooperated on the Arrow III, we've cooperated in many areas. We cooperate technologically. Chancellor Mertz was here recently, we talked about defense cooperation.
And now I'm very pleased to welcome a dear friend of Israel, Minister Dobrindt, to sign this important pact. So, thank you for your friendship, thank you for your support, and please convey this to your government as well."
Translated from Hebrew:
"I have just signed a cyber defense cooperation agreement with the German Interior Minister, a great friend of Israel. This reflects the growing closeness of many countries and major powers like Germany, and there are others, of course, that you are familiar with, which seek cooperation with us and want to promote not only security matters but also economic ones. The State of Israel is on the rise."
Video credit: Omer Miron (GPO) / Sound credit: Ben Peretz (GPO)
Attached photo credits: Kobi Gideon (GPO)
(Communicated by the President's Spokesperson)
Monday, 12 January 2026 / 23 Tevet 5786
President Isaac Herzog Meets Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu
Today, Monday, 12 January 2026, President Isaac Herzog met with Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Motegi Toshimitsu, at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem. President Herzog welcomed Foreign Minister Motegi to Israel, a visit that signifies the deepening ties between Israel and Japan.
During their meeting, President Herzog and Foreign Minister Motegi discussed the importance of implementing President Trump’s Peace Plan in Gaza, including the urgent need for the last hostage still held in Gaza—Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili—to be returned home to Israel. President Herzog and Foreign Minister Motegi also discussed how to further strengthen bilateral relations across the fields of innovation, technology, science, security, and tourism.
President Herzog: “Welcome, Foreign Minister, dear friend. It's not the first time that you are here, not the first time that we are meeting, and I want to congratulate you on re-entering the position of Foreign Minister of Japan. I believe now the circumstances are such that we can enhance for both nations our relations in so many spheres to impact both our economies—doing good in the world together. I think we can have strategic partnerships that encompass many fields, and I think that the joint interests of our nations on various topics, including security, including science, including technology, can surpass all the targets that we've met in the past, and I think we can exit from the standstill that we had now towards the direction of improving both our relations and our mutual economic ties. So thank you very much for coming here, and we will end by crying out loud for the return of our missing hostage, the last one, Ran Gvili, whose family is waiting for his return and, of course, for better stability and a future of peace in the Day After in the region.
“I want to add that we look forward to the involvement of Japan in the Day After, planning the implementation of President Trump's initiative, which was approved by the Security Council, and this is the basis for disarming Hamas and moving forward and giving hope to the children of Gaza so that they can live a decent life like the children of the region and the world. And of course, we believe that one thing has to be made clear: terror is out of the question. We will fight terror, and all regional efforts that we are carrying out are aimed at dismantling the capabilities of terror and enabling a better future for the region.”
Foreign Minister Motegi: “It is an honor to meet you again. Your Excellency, I remember our last meeting, which was four years ago when I visited here in Israel last time. Let me express my deepest condolences to the victims of the October 7th terrorist attack. Japan has strongly condemned the brutal act of terror committed by Hamas, and we also reiterate our position that Hamas must be disarmed. To improve the situation in Israel and Palestine, we believe that the steady implementation of the Comprehensive Plan is important, and Japan is ready to play an active role for that.”
Video of the Meeting Between President Herzog and Foreign Minister Motegi:
https://mab.to/t/uZNR4KsqWLE/eu1
Video credit: Avi Kaner (GPO) / Sound credit: Gideon Arnold (GPO)
Attached photo credits: Maayan Toaf / GPO
Benjamin Lee, benjaminl@president.gov.il, 050-6169572
Monday, 12 January 2026 / 23 Tevet 5786
President Isaac Herzog Meets Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu
Today, Monday, 12 January 2026, President Isaac Herzog met with Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Motegi Toshimitsu, at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem. President Herzog welcomed Foreign Minister Motegi to Israel, a visit that signifies the deepening ties between Israel and Japan.
During their meeting, President Herzog and Foreign Minister Motegi discussed the importance of implementing President Trump’s Peace Plan in Gaza, including the urgent need for the last hostage still held in Gaza—Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili—to be returned home to Israel. President Herzog and Foreign Minister Motegi also discussed how to further strengthen bilateral relations across the fields of innovation, technology, science, security, and tourism.
President Herzog: “Welcome, Foreign Minister, dear friend. It's not the first time that you are here, not the first time that we are meeting, and I want to congratulate you on re-entering the position of Foreign Minister of Japan. I believe now the circumstances are such that we can enhance for both nations our relations in so many spheres to impact both our economies—doing good in the world together. I think we can have strategic partnerships that encompass many fields, and I think that the joint interests of our nations on various topics, including security, including science, including technology, can surpass all the targets that we've met in the past, and I think we can exit from the standstill that we had now towards the direction of improving both our relations and our mutual economic ties. So thank you very much for coming here, and we will end by crying out loud for the return of our missing hostage, the last one, Ran Gvili, whose family is waiting for his return and, of course, for better stability and a future of peace in the Day After in the region.
“I want to add that we look forward to the involvement of Japan in the Day After, planning the implementation of President Trump's initiative, which was approved by the Security Council, and this is the basis for disarming Hamas and moving forward and giving hope to the children of Gaza so that they can live a decent life like the children of the region and the world. And of course, we believe that one thing has to be made clear: terror is out of the question. We will fight terror, and all regional efforts that we are carrying out are aimed at dismantling the capabilities of terror and enabling a better future for the region.”
Foreign Minister Motegi: “It is an honor to meet you again. Your Excellency, I remember our last meeting, which was four years ago when I visited here in Israel last time. Let me express my deepest condolences to the victims of the October 7th terrorist attack. Japan has strongly condemned the brutal act of terror committed by Hamas, and we also reiterate our position that Hamas must be disarmed. To improve the situation in Israel and Palestine, we believe that the steady implementation of the Comprehensive Plan is important, and Japan is ready to play an active role for that.”
Video of the Meeting Between President Herzog and Foreign Minister Motegi:
https://mab.to/t/uZNR4KsqWLE/eu1
Video credit: Avi Kaner (GPO) / Sound credit: Gideon Arnold (GPO)
Attached photo credits: Maayan Toaf / GPO
Benjamin Lee, benjaminl@president.gov.il, 050-6169572