Israeli President Isaac Herzog met Wednesday with a delegation of 11 members of the European Parliament who represented four political groups and eight different countries.
The delegation was organized by ELNET — European Leadership Network and was led by Antonio López-Isturíz White MEP (EPP-Spain), chairman of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Israel.
Herzog praised Israel and Europe’s shared intellectual and cultural heritage as a solid foundation for further cooperation. He held an open discussion with the MEPs about global issues and stressed Israel’s potential to help Europe face key challenges, including the climate crisis, saying, “Israel’s great contribution is the great new ideas that it can bring to the world.”
The president praised the launch of the European Commission’s EU Strategy on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life and called on the European Parliament to act forcefully to combat hatred against Jews.
Herzog also called on more states to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism.
“We are two democracies under threat—different threats. You have the survival threat against Iran and its proxies, and we have threats raging from populism and regimes that undermine our democracy,” said Antonio López-Isturíz White MEP, chairman of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Israel.
“There are things that we believe you need from us — like the Horizon program, trade, and the fight against climate change. And we need you for the security of Europe, for your expertise in this fascinating time of new technology.”
Joining the delegation were former Estonian prime minister Andrus Ansip MEP (Estonia), Assita Kanko MEP (Belgium), Elena Yontcheva MEP (Bulgaria), Isabel Benjumea Benjumea MEP (Spain), Jens Gieseke MEP (Germany), Manolis Kefalogiannis MEP (Greece), Michael David Lega MEP (Sweden), Ljudmila Novak MEP (Slovenia), Andreas Schwab MEP (Germany), Juan Ignacio Zoido Álvarez MEP (Spain), and EPP Deputy Secretary General Christian Kremer.