Ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8, Israel’s first lady, Michal Herzog, has renewed her call for Hamas terrorists to be held accountable for the sexual violence they perpetrated during their massacre of 1,200 people on Oct. 7, 2023, and subsequently, against some of the 251 hostages they kidnapped that day into Gaza.
Herzog has been a key voice in bringing attention to the terrorist organization’s systematic use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, including writing an opinion piece in Newsweek in November 2023, titled “The Silence From International Bodies Over Hamas’ Mass Rapes Is a Betrayal of All Women.”
In an interview with JNS on March 5, Herzog—a lawyer and professional mediator by profession—stressed the importance of protecting women not only by fiercely defending their rights but also by helping give them the strength and courage to tell their stories.
“We have to keep talking about it not only from an Israeli point of view but from a universal perspective, protecting women in the world, because this is bound to happen in another conflict,” she said.
The first lady spoke to JNS about the changes in her role since Oct. 7, including the decision made along with her husband, President Isaac Herzog, to open the President’s Residence in Jerusalem to the people of Israel to assist them in overcoming the national trauma.
“It’s been a total change in what we do. We never thought we would see over a thousand bereaved families or that I would have an employee card at Sheba Medical Center [in Ramat Gan] because I go to visit the wounded so often,” Mrs. Herzog said.
“Meeting and supporting the hostage families as well is part of these issues that we did not expect to be dealing with, but which fill us with a sense of purpose,” she added.
Herzog addressed allegations that some male officers in the Israel Defense Forces ignored warnings from female subordinates of an impending attack from the Gaza Strip ahead of Oct. 7 and noted the underrepresentation of women in the Knesset, noting that she has been encouraging young women to get involved.
During this turbulent time for the Jewish state, Herzog is keenly aware of the importance of her duties as a unifying force in Israeli society.
“I think the vast majority of Israelis want to put aside their disagreements, not shy away from them, we don’t have to agree on everything, but it seems the vast majority feels that they want to continue and empower our country, empower Israeli society and stick together,” she said.
Finally, she highlighted the manner in which the Jewish world has mobilized in support of Israel following the Oct. 7 terror invasion.
“My message is to keep together. I am very grateful for the involvement of Jewish communities around the world,” Herzog said. “When we work together, when we care about each other, we are the strongest and can help each other the most.”
Q: You were very vocal with regard to Hamas’s sexual violence, writing an article in November 2023 in Newsweek titled “The Silence From International Bodies Over Hamas’ Mass Rapes Is a Betrayal of All Women.” Do you feel that in the last year-plus, there has been a shift, or is the silence still deafening?
A: I think in some ways there was a shift. For instance, the fact that U.N. Under-Secretary-General Pramila Patten came to Israel and published a report saying that what happened on Oct. 7 was a systematic, premeditated act of violence represented a bit of a shift in the U.N. stand, but we have to keep talking about it.
We have to keep talking about it not only from an Israeli point of view but from a universal perspective, protecting women in the world, because this is bound to happen in another conflict. From what we’ve seen throughout and from professionals in the field, I know that Oct. 7 was a new level in violence against women and the tendency is unfortunately in the next conflicts around the world for things to go even further.
We speak not only for Israeli women but for women everywhere, and we must prevent the use of sexual violence in the next conflict to come. I think voices in the U.N. better understand now what we are talking about, but not all of them.
Q: Is there a dilemma between having the hostages and the victims of Hamas sexual violence sharing what they have gone through and at the same time protecting their privacy?
A: I don’t see it as a dilemma. In professional terms, it is called treatment before justice. Obviously, you have to treat the victims before you seek justice. You first need to protect them. There are very courageous women like Amit Soussana who of their own volition came out with their story and thought it was important enough.
I think as time goes on, there will be others. Similarly, we see some redeemed hostages who want to share their experience and want everyone to know, and others who keep private. It’s respecting privacy. If people want to share and bring to the public what they went through, they do. I don’t really see it as a conflict.
Q: Entire families were wiped out on Oct. 7. As a mother and the first lady of Israel, what steps have you taken to help the Israeli people recover from this tremendous trauma?
A: First of all, the place where I am currently sitting, the President’s Office and Residence in Jerusalem, has been the house of the people. We have opened it up to people from all walks of life. We want all Israelis to feel comfortable wherever they come from, whatever their belief or religion is, whatever way of life they chose—they are welcome to share their pain and bring their story. We see thousands of people every week.
We meet a lot of the bereaved families We either go to them or they come to us. Some of the families who lost many of their members received a special award from the president in the past year. We have been trying to make everyone feel heard.
We have helped many families with the little and big challenges they face. Sometimes it’s a request for help with housing and sometimes it’s a request to help them with education or a social problem. Many of the families feel very comfortable reaching out to us, and we make sure all the requests we get are addressed.
Sometimes, bureaucracy is a great barrier and we try to alleviate the painful processes. On the anniversary of Oct. 7, the president and I went on a three-day journey to the places and communities that were hurt. It was a painful but rewarding experience because we felt that we gave attention to each of the communities.
We had conversations with the people from the cities, towns, villages and army bases. We started the day of Oct. 7 at 6:29 a.m. at the Nova site. We are really open and try to help every single family that was hurt, and I hope that we somehow succeed in alleviating their pain.
Q: There have been accusations leveled at the military that warning signs about Oct. 7 brought by women soldiers to the attention of male superiors were disregarded. Do you think this could have been the case? And do you believe that the role of women in the IDF and other branches of the security establishment must be enhanced?
A: The IDF has opened all of its possibilities to women. It has been a big step that has taken place over the past few years. What we saw on Oct. 7 and moving forward makes it very clear that women are no less capable than men, if not more in some cases, and they really make a great difference for the army and the way of thinking.
Unfortunately, I heard this from many of the families of the female soldiers and male soldiers as well, and the disregard of their warnings is very painful now because it brought horrible results.
I think the IDF now understands that even when commanders go through their training processes, they have to listen to their subordinates and listen to such female soldiers and not disregard what even a simple soldier has to say.
You have to listen. This is one of the things required as part of a commission of inquiry that should be established and go through all the recordings, all the stories, which are endless. For us to be able to move forward as a society, we have to go through this painful process.
Q: Do you believe that women are underrepresented in the Knesset? If so, what should be done about it?
A: I think that there is a lack of female voices around the decision-making tables. We know that women always have something to add and a different point of view. It is so important to hear their voice.
I have been encouraging young women to get involved and not to sit idly by. If they feel that things should change, they should join in. It doesn’t matter if it’s your Parents Association in school, if you join a committee in your city or if you run for the local municipal elections.
You have to bring the voice of women to public life and bring your voice as a woman. Don’t be afraid to bring your agendas, your beliefs, because I feel there is room for much more involvement of women at the decision-making tables.
Q: Do you believe that Hamas must be defeated entirely, and if so, do you think that Israel is on course to do that?
A: I am not sure I am in a position to answer such a question since it is more of a strategic and even military question. I know that we cannot go back to the way it was before Oct. 7, this is totally unacceptable. One major issue I have been dealing with since Oct. 7 is that of sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas on Oct. 7 and afterward against the hostages.
This illustrates one of the reasons we cannot forgive or return to a situation in which Hamas has the power to go back to the way they were before Oct. 7. The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has been long but never was premeditated, systematic sexual violence used as a tool in this conflict, and so I felt it was a very important topic to keep on the world stage.
The Muslim world doesn’t like this issue, it is not part of Islam, and the world should understand that we cannot allow this to be forgiven and for life to go on as before.
The fact that international organizations, especially those that were established to protect women’s rights such as U.N. Women, did not recognize what happened in Israel on Oct. 7 brought me and a group of very brave and courageous Israeli women to be the voice of those women and constantly bring this to the world’s attention so that it doesn’t forget what happened.
Q: Could you outline your responsibilities as first lady of Israel—some of your favorite things and least favorite things about the role?
A: There is really no definition of my role, the role of the partner or spouse of the elected president. Each person fills it with their own agendas, wishes and needs.
This has been a very different presidential term. We started in July 2021. The president was sworn in with a COVID mask. A year or so later, we had elections. At the beginning of 2023, we dealt with the judicial reform effort, and then Oct. 7 happened. It’s been quite a very unusual term.
There were a few fields that I was interested in to begin with, even before the war, when we came to this office. One of my main fields of action was mental health. I am not a professional in the field, it just came naturally after the COVID-19 pandemic, seeing young people dealing with social distancing.
I felt that we were all affected and I wanted people to reach out for help if they needed to. I spoke a lot about the need to regard mental health not as a shameful situation, to break the stigma, reach out for help just like with any other disease. There is nothing to be ashamed about asking for help.
After Oct. 7, the whole issue of post-trauma and mental health became huge and I deal with it now as well.
Another field I always thought was important was the use of sports as a social agenda, something which brings people together and is helpful in social mobility. Of course, we also have a full schedule at the President’s Residence. I find myself involved in many fields, ceremonies and visits.
Since Oct. 7, there’s been a total change in what we do. We never thought we would see over a thousand bereaved families or that I would have an employee card at Sheba Medical Center [in Ramat Gan] because I go to visit the wounded so often. Meeting and supporting the hostage families is also part of these issues that we did not expect to be dealing with but which fill us with a sense of purpose in this term.
Q: You and the president are widely viewed as a unifying force in Israeli society. Do you feel as though the people have put their differences aside and come together after Oct. 7?
A: I think the vast majority of Israelis want to put aside their disagreements, not shy away from them, we don’t have to agree on everything but it seems the vast majority feels that they want to continue and empower our country, empower Israeli society and stick together.
This is a recurring theme in all of our visits to bereaved families. People turn to the president and ask him to please help keep us all together, because they have this need. We hear the extreme voices, and it sometimes sounds like people are constantly fighting, but I don’t think that it is true. I think that most people, when you ask them, they want to understand and want to stay together. This is one of the most important things that we do here, we set our strategy working with Israeli society and the Jewish world as well to listen to one another.
We have a program called “Time to Talk.” It’s about talking and listening to each other and getting to know people who are different from you, and it doesn’t matter if they wear something on their heads or not, if they live here or there, if their ways of life are different. They understand they have to reach out to each other and listen, and when you listen, you understand that you have many more things in common that make you feel as one.
Q: Are you involved in issues pertaining to Diaspora Jewry? What is your message for Jews worldwide during this critical time for the Jewish state?
A: The involvement of the Jewish world in Israel especially since Oct. 7 has been incredible. I meet groups almost every day, solidarity missions, people who ask how they can help. Israelis also understood that whatever happens here affects every Jew in every community from around the world. From that terrible day, the silver lining is that there is more understanding.
People in Israel look at the waves of antisemitism around the world and are appalled. My message is to keep together. I am very grateful for the involvement of Jewish communities around the world.
I recently attended the 2025 International Lion of Judah Conference in Atlanta with almost 2,000 women from all over the world. This powerful get-together made me realize that when we work together, when we care about each other, we are the strongest and can help each other the most.