Israeli President Visits Serbia to Rally Support for Hostages and Strengthen Economic Ties

From left: Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Idit Ohel, whose son, Alon, is being held captive by Hamas, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in Belgrade on Sept. 11, 2024. (Photo by Haim Zach/GPO) (Photo by Haim Zach/GPO)

While in Serbia, Herzog will participate in a memorial ceremony for Holocaust victims and meet members of the local Jewish community.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Israeli President Isaac Herzog kicked off a two-day visit to the Balkans on Wednesday morning meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in Belgrade.

Herzog was accompanied by Idit Ohel, an Israeli of Serbian origin, whose son Alon, was taken hostage on October 7 by Hamas as he sought to escape the Nova Festival. Alon remains held captive in Gaza.

“You mentioned so graciously and emotionally the plight of 101 Israeli hostages – hostages who are from various nationalities,” Herzog told Vučić. “One of them is Alon Ohel, a young Israeli of Serbian origin, who is a musician, an incredible kid, who was there at the music festival. His mother is here, Idit, with a picture of her son. The world must remember and know that the plight and the return of the hostages should be the utmost objective of the international community.”

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić, who greeted Herzog on his arrival in Belgrade, is related to Ohel.

Herzog’s visit will center on enhancing international cooperation in the realms of security, strategy, and economics, with a particular focus on efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.

While in Serbia, Herzog will participate in a memorial ceremony for Holocaust victims and meet members of the local Jewish community.

Herzog is accompanied by a delegation of business leaders and officials who will explore opportunities for industrial and economic cooperation with their Serbian and Albanian counterparts.

Herzog will next travel to Tirana, Albania’s capital, at the invitation of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and President Bejarem Begj. It will mark the first ever visit by an Israeli leader to Albania, a predominantly Muslim country.

Herzog will meet with the descendants of Albanian citizens recognized as “Righteous Among the Nations” for their efforts in saving Jews during the Holocaust, and also attend a ceremony at Tirana’s Holocaust memorial.

Herzog is accompanied by a delegation of business leaders and officials who will explore opportunities for industrial and economic cooperation with their Serbian and Albanian counterparts.