Haim Herzog (1918

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Political Biography

Presidents of Israel

Lexicon of Terms

Haim Herzog (1918–1997)

Major General in the IDF, attorney, politician and the sixth President of the State.

Herzog was born in Ireland in 1918. His father, Rabbi Isaac Herzog, was the Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of the Yishuv in Israel and of the State of Israel (1936-1959). He himself was educated in the "Mercaz HaRav" and "Hebron" yeshivas and at the British Mandate Government's law school. His studies continued in London and Cambridge, and he was qualified as an advocate in Britain.

Herzog was a member of the Hagana during the 1936–1939 Arab Revolt, and he later served in the British Army during the Second World War. Towards the end of the war he headed the British intelligence in Northern Germany. In 1947 he was appointed as director of the Defense Department in the Jewish Agency. During the War of Independence he served as the operations officer in the 7th Brigade, which took part in the battles of Latrun.

In the years 1948–1950 and 1959–1962 Herzog was the Head of the Intelligence Department (later the Intelligence Directorate) in the IDF. During 1950–1954 he served as Military Attache in Washington, followed by his position as Commander of the Jerusalem District and Commander of the Southern Command (1957–1959).

Herzog retired from military service in 1962 with a rank of Major General. Until 1972 he was director of an industrial company in Israel and between 1972–1983 he was senior partner at a law firm. During the Six Day War and Yom Kippur War, Herzog was a commentator for "Kol Israel" radio broadcasts. Following the Six Day War he was appointed as Military Governor of Jerusalem and the West Bank.

In 1975–1979 Herzog was Israel's standing Representative to the United Nations. After acceptance of UN Resolution 3379 in 1975, comparing Zionism with racism, he rose from his seat and tore the resolution. In this position he also explained the Operation Entebbe to the General Assembly. Upon his return from New York he joined the Labor Party and was elected on its behalf to the Tenth Knesset (1981).

Herzog retired from the Knesset upon his inauguration as President of the State in 1983. In 1986 he provoked a national debate on the presidential right of pardon, following his pardon to 11 senior officers involved in the "Kav 300 Affair." He was the first President of Israel to visit the Federal Republic of Germany in April 1987, and to visit the United States, in November of that year.

In 1993 Herzog returned to the private sector.