President @Isaac_Herzog tonight addressed a special event honoring the work of the Zuckerman @Stem_Program Leadership Program: “Investing in and advancing academic excellence is not just about knowledge—it is about securing our future, driving economic growth, and ensuring that Israel remains a global leader in discovery and progress. I salute the remarkable Israeli academia. I know how difficult this time has been for faculty, students and academia at large. I know how much you have had to lean on your core qualities of integrity, and commitment to your professional and moral truths in an often unsupportive and even hostile climate. I salute all of you for your commitment to defending the principles at the root of our Israeli society. At these very moments our brothers remain buried alive in the terror tunnels of Gaza, in a shameful crime against humanity. Let us all continue to cry out for them, for their immediate return home.”