(A7) President Isaac Herzog and First Lady Michal Herzog will make an official visit to the Swiss Confederation and will be guests of honor at the 125th anniversary commemorations of the First Zionist Congress.
During the visit, on 29-30 August, President Herzog will meet Swiss President Ignazio Cassis and senior government officials, as well as members of the Government of the Canton of Basel-Stadt and Swiss-Jewish community representatives. A groundbreaking agreement between the Israeli and Swiss national science foundations will be signed in the presence of the presidents of Israel and Switzerland. The highlight of the visit will be the President and First Lady’s participation in a gala event in Basel celebrating the 125th anniversary of the First Zionist Congress.
President Isaac Herzog and First Lady Michal Herzog will begin an official visit to the Swiss Confederation on Monday, 29 August. The President and the First Lady will be welcomed to the Lohn Estate, the official estate of the Swiss Federal Council, with a ceremony and an honor guard. President Herzog and Swiss President Ignazio Cassis will hold a diplomatic meeting, after which they will attend an official luncheon. During their meetings, a groundbreaking agreement between the Israeli and Swiss national science foundations will be signed in the presence of both presidents.
As part of the visit, the First Lady of Switzerland, Dr. Paola Rodoni Cassis will host First Lady Michal Herzog, and together they will visit Einstein House, the former home of the Jewish scientist Albert Einstein, which now serves as a museum about him.
President Herzog will meet senior officials of the Government of the Canton of Basel-Stadt, where his visit will take place. The President will also meet the leaders of all the Jewish communities of Switzerland and representatives of the country’s various Jewish organizations.
President Isaac Herzog, ahead of his visit: “Switzerland is an important country on a global level, as reflected both in international organizations, including the Red Cross, and on the European diplomatic stage. During my visit, I shall meet President Cassis and discuss important diplomatic, security, and economic issues with him, including the strengthening of our partnership in the fields of scientific and technological R&D. As part of our strong partnership, we will both mark the signing of a groundbreaking agreement between our respective countries’ national science foundations.
“The heart of this visit is a historic milestone: the 125th anniversary of the First Zionist Congress in Basel, which was a formative event for the Jewish People and for humanity at large. Zionism is the ideal combination of Judaism’s deepest roots with groundbreaking innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. As the president of the nation-state of the Jewish People, I am astonished and filled with pride every day anew at the sight of Herzl’s vision coming to life in front of our eyes, and I feel the heavy duty and responsibility for the future of the State of Israel and the Jewish People.”
