Herzog meets Czech President in Prague, praises his ‘love of Israel’

President Isaac Herzog meets his Czech counterpart Miloš Zeman in Prague and presents him with the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor.

Herzog is greeted by Zeman and First Lady Ivana Zemanová at Prague Castle, the Czech presidential residence. The welcome ceremony includes a guard of honor and the playing of the Israeli and Czech national anthems.

The two leaders then hold a one-on-one meeting, followed by a larger meeting with their collaborators.

Herzog awards the medal at the start of a state luncheon.

President Isaac Herzog and his Czech counterpart, Miloš Zeman, inspect an honor guard in Prague on July 11, 2022 (Haim Zach/GPO)

“You are an important ally,” said Herzog, “and your love for Israel has given her fame in the family of nations. It’s no secret that for several decades Israel and Czechia have been true partners, learning from each other, supporting and relying on each other.

Herzog thanks Zeman for Prague’s support for Israel in international forums and for relocating a branch of the Czech Embassy to Jerusalem.

“Needless to say, the Czech Republic fully supports the Israeli people against the international community,” Zeman said. “In this context, we also discussed with the President the anti-Israel decision of the United Nations Human Rights Council, a decision which we both strongly condemned.