President Herzog Issues Urgent Plea for National Unity While Honoring Fallen Soldiers and Holocaust Survivors

President Isaac Herzog calls for Israeli unity at Yad Vashem, citing the story of a Holocaust survivor and her fallen great-grandson as a plea for cohesion.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 13, 2026, 2:33 PM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from The Times of Israel

A Stark Warning Against the Erosion of National Unity

During a recorded address for the official state ceremony at Yad Vashem, President Isaac Herzog delivered a somber message regarding the current state of Israeli society. He asserted that the State of Israel was not established from the devastation of the Holocaust simply to be destroyed by internal discord and social fire. According to Herzog, the persistent infighting within the country poses a direct threat to the resilience of the nation, overshadowing the historical purpose for which the state was founded.

The Tragic Convergence of Two Generations

The President centered his speech on the evocative narrative of Magda Baratz, a survivor of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, and her great-grandson, Staff Sgt. Assaf Kafri. In a cruel twist of historical fate, Baratz learned of Kafri’s death in the Gaza conflict while she was visiting the very site where she had suffered during the Holocaust. Herzog noted that the elderly survivor passed away shortly after receiving the news, marking a painful conclusion to a family history defined by both persecution and military service.

The Shared Spirit of Heroism and Determination

Herzog emphasized that although seven decades separated the lives of Baratz and Kafri, they were united by a singular commitment to the Jewish homeland. He described this connection as a spirit of heroism and determination that binds the generations together in the ongoing fight for national survival. According to the President, the sacrifice made by soldiers like Kafri is a modern extension of the endurance shown by those who survived the camps, both serving the same goal of protecting the only home of the Jewish people.