At the invitation of King Abdullah II, Israel's President Isaac Herzog will visit Jordan on Wednesday, returning to Israel in the evening that same day.
Herzog and the king are not strangers to each other. King Abdullah called to congratulate him when he entered office and the two have had several conversations since.
The way things are developing, Herzog will go down in history as Israel’s most diplomatic president. Not quite nine months in office and he has already visited more than half a dozen countries.
All such visits, including the one to Jordan, are coordinated with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid.
In his previous capacities, Herzog has made numerous connections with leading global figures, which make him an ideal flag-bearer for Israeli diplomatic initiatives.
This was also evident on Tuesday, when Herzog, a former Minister of Tourism opened the International Mediterranean Tourism Market and noted that he knew some of the participants from around 50 countries because he had met them in his prior roles.
While keen to promote harmony, respect and mutual understanding amongst the diverse communities within Israel, given the frequency of his travels abroad, it is obvious that Herzog is perhaps even more interested in cementing existing relationships and in making friends for Israel where relationships are either tenuous or nonexistent.
There are several countries that for years have had under-the-radar relationships with Israel, and it would not be surprising if, during his seven-year term of office, Herzog brings such countries – or at least some of them – above the radar.
Herzog admits that it gives him an emotional high to hear “Hatikvah” – Israel’s national anthem – played in a Muslim country when he arrives on a state visit. There are quite a number of Muslim countries that do not yet have diplomatic relations with Israel, but given the ongoing geopolitical changes in the region, there is little doubt that some of them will, and Herzog will have the opportunity to hear “Hatikvah” in several Muslim countries.
This ability to promote diplomatic progress may be hereditary. His father, Chaim Herzog, as Israel’s sixth president, visited both China and Sri Lanka before the establishment of diplomatic ties.
Herzog has made it clear on several occasions that in all his meetings with leaders of other countries that he is helping to facilitate dialogue and the rest is up to the governments of both countries.
Issues to be discussed during the current visit include enhancing bilateral relations, maintaining regional stability during Ramadan, strengthening peace and normalization, and increasing opportunities for joint projects between Israel and Jordan.
