Israel's President Isaac Herzog addresses a ceremony commemorating Israel?s Remembrance Day for fallen soldiers, or Yom HaZikaron, at the Military Cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem on April 21, 2026. (Credit: Ilia Yefimovich / AFP)
BEIRUT — Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Wednesday that he dreams of “getting in a car and driving straight to Beirut” to visit “that beautiful city” and “befriend the Lebanese people.”
In a post on X, the Israeli head of state described these remarks as “a message of hope and peace,” noting that he shared them with ambassadors, diplomats, military attachés, and religious leaders during the “celebrations of Israel’s 78th Independence Day” at the presidential residence.
These statements come on the eve of scheduled negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in Washington, at the level of their respective ambassadors, as a fragile ten-day truce took effect on April 17 after 46 days of clashes between Hezbollah and Israel, even as the Israeli army seeks to create a “buffer zone” in southern Lebanon.
Iran negotiator vows 'decisive' response to US-Israeli attack