Israeli President Herzog Delivers Historic Speech in Romanian Parliament, Condemns Iran's Nuclear Ambitions

Israeli President Isaac Herzog delivered a historic speech on Monday in the Romanian Parliament during his state visit to Romania. In his address, Herzog sharply criticized Iran, warning that its pursuit of nuclear capabilities poses a direct threat to Israel. He stated, "Iran's aspiration to become a nuclear threshold state is a real danger to the State of Israel," and condemned Iran's attempts to dictate Lebanon's future, which he said hinder progress toward peace and security.

Herzog met with Romanian Senate President Mircea Abrudean and Speaker of the House Sorin-Mihai Grindeanu during his visit. He expressed gratitude to Romania for its principled support of Israel since October 7, when Romania immediately and unequivocally condemned the Hamas massacre. The president highlighted the recent memorandum of understanding signed between Israel and Lebanon in Washington as a significant breakthrough that could serve as a foundation for peace. He emphasized that the agreement requires Hezbollah's removal and paves the way for a genuine peace treaty between the two countries.

Praising the leadership of U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Herzog noted their joint efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and to stop what he called "this empire of evil and its proxies" from threatening peace-seeking nations in the Middle East. While affirming Israel's desire for peace across all its borders, Herzog reiterated the serious threat Iran's nuclear ambitions represent.

Herzog also reflected on the deep historical ties between Israel and Romania, recalling that the Jewish poet Naftali Herz Imber wrote the first draft of "Hatikvah," Israel's national anthem, in the Romanian city of Iași. He thanked Romanian President Nicolae Dan for the invitation and praised Romania's exceptional humanitarian solidarity in efforts to free hostages held in Gaza tunnels.

Concluding his speech, Herzog called on the European Union and the international community to support the Israel-Lebanon memorandum, Lebanon's stability and economy, and Israel's security. He expressed appreciation for Romania standing shoulder to shoulder with Israel to strengthen regional resilience and uphold shared moral values. This visit marks a historic state visit by an Israeli president to Romania, a country regarded as a particularly close friend of Israel in Europe.