Yaakov Herzog
Encyclopedia
Yaakov Herzog was an Israel
i diplomat
.
. His father was Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog
, the second Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi
of Israel, and his brother, Chaim Herzog
, became the sixth President of Israel
. The family immigrated to Mandate Palestine in 1937. After he was ordained as a rabbi
in the Harry Fischel Seminary in Jerusalem, Herzog studied law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
and London University. He earned a doctorate in international law
from McGill University
in Montreal
. Herzog served in Shai
in the Haganah
.
David Ben-Gurion
on policy from 1956 to 1957.
From 1957 to 1960 Herzog was an emissary for the Israeli embassy in Washington D. C., and from 1960 to 1963 he served in the Israeli embassy in Canada
.
Herzog helped improve relations with the Vatican
after the Six-Day War
, and led diplomatic communications with King Hussein of Jordan
. He held secret talks with Hussein in a London clinic that opened the way to peace between Jordan and Israel, established secret contacts with Lebanese Christians, helped the Imam of Yemen against his enemies, and became a personal friend to President Kennedy, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, Ireland’s leader Eamon de Valera and other world figures.
From 1965 until his death in 1972, he served as the chief of staff for the Prime Minister of Israel
's office under the administrations of Levi Eshkol
and Golda Meir
. In January 1961, when was the Israeli emissary to Canada, he engaged in a famous public debate with the British historian Arnold J. Toynbee
, who compared Israel's actions in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
to the actions of the Nazis against the Jews in the Holocaust.
Isaiah Berlin
described him as "one of the best and wisest, most attractive and morally most impressive human beings I have ever known.”
sector, perpetuate his memory: Kiryat Yaakov Herzog high school in Kfar Sava, Yaakov Herzog Jewish Studies College in Ein Tzurim
, Herzog College
for training of teachers in Alon Shvut
, the Maalot Yaakov Yeshiva, and the law faculty at Bar-Ilan University
, are all named for him.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
.
Biography
Yitzhak Herzog was born in Dublin, IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. His father was Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog
Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog
Rabbi Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog , also known as Isaac Herzog, was the first Chief Rabbi of Ireland, his term lasting from 1921 to 1936...
, the second Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
of Israel, and his brother, Chaim Herzog
Chaim Herzog
Chaim Herzog served as the sixth President of Israel , following a distinguished career in both the British Army and the Israel Defense Forces .-Early life:...
, became the sixth President of Israel
President of Israel
The President of the State of Israel is the head of state of Israel. The position is largely an apolitical ceremonial figurehead role, with the real executive power lying in the hands of the Prime Minister. The current president is Shimon Peres who took office on 15 July 2007...
. The family immigrated to Mandate Palestine in 1937. After he was ordained as a rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
in the Harry Fischel Seminary in Jerusalem, Herzog studied law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
and London University. He earned a doctorate in international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
from McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. Herzog served in Shai
Shai
Shai was the deification of the concept of fate in Egyptian mythology...
in the Haganah
Haganah
Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
.
Diplomatic career
After the founding of the State of Israel, Herzog worked for the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 1948 to 1954 he counseled on issues relating to Jerusalem. From 1954 to 1957 he was the chief of the United States division. He advised Prime Minister of IsraelPrime Minister of Israel
The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and the most powerful political figure in Israel . The prime minister is the country's chief executive. The official residence of the prime minister, Beit Rosh Hamemshala is in Jerusalem...
David Ben-Gurion
David Ben-Gurion
' was the first Prime Minister of Israel.Ben-Gurion's passion for Zionism, which began early in life, led him to become a major Zionist leader and Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946...
on policy from 1956 to 1957.
From 1957 to 1960 Herzog was an emissary for the Israeli embassy in Washington D. C., and from 1960 to 1963 he served in the Israeli embassy in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Herzog helped improve relations with the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
after the Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
, and led diplomatic communications with King Hussein of Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
. He held secret talks with Hussein in a London clinic that opened the way to peace between Jordan and Israel, established secret contacts with Lebanese Christians, helped the Imam of Yemen against his enemies, and became a personal friend to President Kennedy, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, Ireland’s leader Eamon de Valera and other world figures.
From 1965 until his death in 1972, he served as the chief of staff for the Prime Minister of Israel
Prime Minister of Israel
The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and the most powerful political figure in Israel . The prime minister is the country's chief executive. The official residence of the prime minister, Beit Rosh Hamemshala is in Jerusalem...
's office under the administrations of Levi Eshkol
Levi Eshkol
' served as the third Prime Minister of Israel from 1963 until his death from a heart attack in 1969. He was the first Israeli Prime Minister to die in office.-Biography:...
and Golda Meir
Golda Meir
Golda Meir ; May 3, 1898 – December 8, 1978) was a teacher, kibbutznik and politician who became the fourth Prime Minister of the State of Israel....
. In January 1961, when was the Israeli emissary to Canada, he engaged in a famous public debate with the British historian Arnold J. Toynbee
Arnold J. Toynbee
Arnold Joseph Toynbee CH was a British historian whose twelve-volume analysis of the rise and fall of civilizations, A Study of History, 1934–1961, was a synthesis of world history, a metahistory based on universal rhythms of rise, flowering and decline, which examined history from a global...
, who compared Israel's actions in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
to the actions of the Nazis against the Jews in the Holocaust.
Isaiah Berlin
Isaiah Berlin
Sir Isaiah Berlin OM, FBA was a British social and political theorist, philosopher and historian of ideas of Russian-Jewish origin, regarded as one of the leading thinkers of the twentieth century and a dominant liberal scholar of his generation...
described him as "one of the best and wisest, most attractive and morally most impressive human beings I have ever known.”
Commemoration
Many educational institutions, especially in the Religious ZionismReligious Zionism
Religious Zionism is an ideology that combines Zionism and Jewish religious faith...
sector, perpetuate his memory: Kiryat Yaakov Herzog high school in Kfar Sava, Yaakov Herzog Jewish Studies College in Ein Tzurim
Ein Tzurim
Ein Tzurim is a religious kibbutz in southern Israel. Located south of Kiryat Malakhi, it falls under the jurisdiction of Shafir Regional Council, and is a member of the Religious Kibbutz Movement. In 2007 it had a population of 1,100.-Original kibbutz:...
, Herzog College
Herzog College
Herzog College is a teacher's college located in Alon Shevut, Gush Etzion, in the West Bank. It is named for the diplomat Yaakov Herzog...
for training of teachers in Alon Shvut
Alon Shvut
Alon Shvut is an Israeli settlement located southwest of Jerusalem, one kilometer northeast of Kfar Etzion, in the West Bank. Established in June 1970 in the heart of the Etzion bloc, Alon Shvut became the prototype for Jewish settlements in the region. It is administered by the Gush Etzion...
, the Maalot Yaakov Yeshiva, and the law faculty at Bar-Ilan University
Bar-Ilan University
Bar-Ilan University is a university in Ramat Gan of the Tel Aviv District, Israel.Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is now Israel's second-largest academic institution. It has nearly 26,800 students and 1,350 faculty members...
, are all named for him.
Published works
- A translation of BerakhotBerakhot (Talmud)Berachot is the first tractate of Seder Zeraim, a collection of the Mishnah that primarily deals with laws relating to plants and farming...
, Pe'ahPe'ahPe'ah is the second tractate of Seder Zeraim of the Mishnah and of the Talmud. The tractate is a fitting continuation of Seder Zeraim. Following the initial subject of blessings and benedictions, instilling an attitude of reverence and gratitude, this tractate begins the discussion of the main...
and DemaiDemaiDemai is the third tractate of Seder Zeraim of the Mishnah and of the Talmud. There is some debate as to the literal meaning and origin of the word...
was first printed in 1947 and reprinted in 1980. - About Israel and its land: an argument with Professor Arnold Toynbee. Jerusalem: Office of Education and Culture, 5735 (1974-1975).
- A nation that lives alone. Tel Aviv: Maariv books, 1975.
- The Anderson Mission
External links
- Segments from Yaakov Herzog's argument with Arnold Toynbee
- Short biography of Yaakov Herzog Yaakov Herzog Centre for Jewish Studies