Tova Herzl

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Nov 20, 2024, 12:11 AM

Paradoxically, Trump’s pro-Israel appointees are good for the Palestinians

Even as many here in Israel applaud recent appointments announced by the American president-elect, those with sensitive ears will hear wise Palestinians rubbing their hands in glee - they understand that the policies of the new appointees will bring...

Oct 26, 2024, 10:32 PM

Calling the Minister of Transport (and Ceremonies)

What do France, Georgia, India, Mexico, Morocco, and Sri Lanka have in common? Unique cuisine? Yes. Beaches? Indeed. Also, our dear Minister of Transport (and unofficial Minister of Official Ceremonies) recently visited them. Cognizant of her untiring efforts to...

Sep 6, 2024, 7:44 AM

A Bullet To The Nape Of The Neck

In 1995, I was Israel's ambassador to the Baltic countries when Boris Dekainidze, a 32-year-old Jew who led the Vilnius Brigade, was found guilty of ordering the murder of an investigative journalist and was executed by a shot to...

Aug 25, 2024, 3:22 PM

The tragic comparison of Israel’s leaders in 1948 and now

Here in Jerusalem, protesters could be known as "Gazans," after the prime minister's residence on Gaza Street, or "Parisians," for the square where they often gather. But we and others around the country are described as "Kaplanists" -- Kaplan...

Aug 18, 2024, 2:29 PM

Pinocchio and Truth, Arens and Netanyahu

A 1999 photo of then newly-appointed Defense Minister Moshe Arens (R) toasting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following a swearing-in ceremony at the Knesset in Jerusalem. (Menahem Kahana / AFP)

Ninety-nine years after Carlo Collodi of Florence gave humanity the fictional liar Pinocchio, Moshe Arens brought the very real Benjamin Netanyahu upon us. Following Netanyahu's cover interview in Time Magazine, I again thought of Arens. He held many important positions...

Aug 4, 2024, 1:20 AM

What is Netanyahu thinking when he openly attacks Harris and supports Trump?

What goes through Netanyahu's mind when he cultivates Donald Trump while declaring open war on Kamala Harris? It started with a pointed dig at her during his address to Congress and continued with a briefing by a "senior political...

Jul 21, 2024, 10:03 AM

Private Conviction Is No Answer For Flouting International Law

Which audience did Prime Minister Netanyahu have in mind when, in response to the ruling by the International Court of Justice, he said that Jews are not occupiers in their historical homeland? When the Chairman of the Knesset Defense...

Jul 7, 2024, 2:10 PM

In times of crisis, protests are a right and a duty

Israelis attend a rally calling for the release of Israelis held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, at 'Hostage Square' in Tel Aviv, June 29, 2024. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

A growing majority of the public opposes the government, but this is not reflected on the streets. No wonder – we are drained!

Jul 3, 2024, 11:14 AM

If I were Palestinian, I would help build settlements

If I were a Palestinian, there are some things I would do to further our national aims, and others I would avoid. I would clean schoolbooks of maps showing Palestine from the river to the sea. True, in the ruling...

Jun 17, 2024, 12:18 PM

If only there was a Nobel Prize for stupidity

Every fall our eyes turn north, to Stockholm, where for a week there is a daily announcement about the winners Nobel Prizes, and we again wait to see how many of our people won, so we can pat ourselves...

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About Me

Tova Herzl served twice as congressional liaison in Washington DC, was Israel's first ambassador to the newly independent Baltic states, and took early retirement after a tumultuous ambassadorship in South Africa. She is the author of the book, Madame Ambassador; Behind The Scenes With A Candid Israeli Diplomat.