President Herzog Plans Teaching Career After Term Ends

President Isaac Herzog revealed his post-presidency plans during the opening of the school year in the Mateh Asher Regional Council. He stated his intention to become a teacher across Israel, calling teaching a "magnificent, tremendous, and very respectable profession." Herzog, accompanied by his wife Michal, visited the "Gvanim" elementary school in Ein HaMifratz, where he spoke with first-graders about their summer vacation and participated in the opening ceremony. The couple also released red balloons, praying for the return of Haimanut Kassao.

Addressing the difficult period faced by children in northern Israel due to the war and ongoing conflict with Lebanon, Herzog acknowledged their experiences with sirens, shelters, and evacuations. He expressed hope for a return to normalcy for all residents of the North, emphasizing that their resilience in returning to school after the war will be a lasting memory. "Even when you are adults, you will remember that you were here after a war and returned to classrooms, to friends, and to school," he told the students.

Looking beyond Israel's borders, Herzog sent a message to the children of Lebanon, expressing hope for peace in the region. "I say from here also to the children in Lebanon: you deserve peace and our children deserve peace. For this, we must do everything so that Hezbollah is not here, but that we simply reach a border of peace," he stated.

With the upcoming elections, the President urged for respectful discourse despite political disagreements. "We all know the country is in an election period, and I hope we will know how to respect each other, to respect all opinions, because we have a shared tomorrow for all of us," he said.

Concluding his remarks, Herzog remembered Professor Ada Yonath and celebrated the 80th birthday of singer Shalom Hanoch. He quoted Hanoch's song to deliver a message of resilience to the residents of the North: "We went through a storm here in the North, we went through a storm in Mateh Asher. The house took a hit, but it did not break. The house is alive and exists, advancing and developing."