Israeli President Isaac Herzog has paid tribute to the British Jewish community and promised to make relations between diaspora Jews and Israel a priority for his administration. 

At a community breakfast event in London, the new Israeli President met representatives from a number of UK Jewish organisations including the Board of Deputies, UJIA and the UJS. 

The event was also attended by Israeli ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely, Executive director of the Jewish Agency Amira Ahronoviz and Head of Delegation to the UK & Western Europe Irit Barash. 

Ambassador Hotovely introduced the President, describing him as “the closest thing Israel has to the Royal Family” as saying that his overwhelming victory in the Israeli presidential poll was a testament to how well-liked he was across the Israeli political spectrum. 

In a short speech, President Herzog spoke of his deep affinity for the UK and even joked that when his father met the Queen they both discussed being direct descendants of King David. He also described the British Jewish community as being “at the forefront of Jewish life” 

President also described the challenges facing world Jewry such as rising antisemitism and the divisive nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Diaspora. He also referenced last weekend’s terror attacks in Jerusalem saying that it demonstrated the “enormous challenges” faced by Jews all over the world.

In her speech at the event, Board of Deputies president Marie van der Zyl affirmed British Jewry’s commitment to Israel saying: “Israel gives us something which our great grandparents in the shtetl or communities in the Middle East never experienced – a sense of security – a feeling that there is somewhere in the world we can call our own.”

The three-day visit by President Herzog was one of his first international visits as Israeli president. Earlier this week he met Prince Charles at his official residence Highgrove House as well as attending a memorial event for the late Rabbi Sacks.