Herzog at Mount Herzl memorial warns of division amid election campaign

Israeli President Isaac Herzog spoke on Monday, 5 October 2026, at the state memorial ceremony for soldiers killed in the Swords of Iron war, held at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, according to a press release issued by the President's Spokesperson. In his remarks he described the war as painful and said the country had lost many of its finest young women and men, adding that Israelis "must tell their stories".

The president used part of the address to speak about the current political climate. Referring to the election campaign under way, he said Israelis should pay attention to what he called "glaring warning lights" pointing to deep division, while stressing that debate on major questions is legitimate and even a duty. Those who disagree today, he said, will "live here alongside you tomorrow".

What the ceremony marks

Swords of Iron is the official Israeli name for the war that followed the October 7 attack. The government's own listings show that this ceremony sits within a wider period of commemoration: the same press office published notices about flags being lowered to half mast at the President's Residence in Jerusalem in memory of October 7, and about a separate state ceremony for the victims of the October 7 terror attack. The event covered here was specifically for fallen soldiers.

Mount Herzl is the site of Israel's national military cemetery in Jerusalem and the usual venue for state memorial events. It is named after Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern political Zionism. Israel's president is the head of state, a largely ceremonial office whose holder often speaks at national commemorations and tends to address the country as a whole rather than as a party figure.

Three years of loss and recovery

Herzog framed his speech around the past three years. He spoke of families dealing with bereavement and injury, of hopes left unfulfilled and of continuing uncertainty, as well as of a public demand for answers. He also referred to Israelis who were forced out of their homes and to communities whose daily lives were uprooted, saying the whole country had faced a situation it had not known before.

Alongside that, he described acts of mutual help: people who, despite their own pain, assisted others without asking who they were, and residents who went back to rebuild, plant and harvest. He said the nation had known "unfathomable lows" but had also reached great heights, and cited the return of hostages, some to rebuild their lives and others brought back for burial in Israel.

Who the fallen were

The president emphasised the range of people killed. The official text of his speech describes them as including both young people and older soldiers who had raised families and built communities, drawn from every part of the country and from every religious, political and social background. He called for them to be remembered permanently.

A message aimed at the election

The closing passage moved from mourning to national politics. Herzog did not name parties or candidates. His argument was that disagreement is allowed, but that political opponents share a common future: their children grow up in the same country and will be asked to defend it and build it together. The remarks fit a theme he has returned to as president, presenting the office as a voice for unity across camps, though the press release itself does not characterise the speech in those terms.

What the reports do not say

This account rests on a single source, the President's Office press release, which reproduces selected passages from the speech. It does not give the full text, so it is not clear what else Herzog said. It does not state how many soldiers have been killed in the war, who else spoke at the ceremony, which officials or bereaved families attended, or how long the event lasted. It does not specify the date of the election he referred to or which political disputes he had in mind. No independent news coverage of the ceremony was available for this report.