The Unlikely Israeli Behind Budding Ties With Turkey

  • Herzog playing key role in warming Israel’s ties with Turkey
  • Turkish president has signaled thaw, called for dialogue

Isaac Herzog

Photographer: Neil Hall/EPA/Bloomberg
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Israel’s figurehead president has become an unlikely star on the country’s diplomatic stage, where he’s playing a dominant role in efforts to repair strained ties with once-close ally Turkey.

Since Isaac Herzog took office in July, he’s secretly visited Jordan to meet with King Abdullah II, spoken with Xi Jinping in the first-ever phone call between Chinese and Israeli presidents, visited the U.K. and Ukraine, and traveled to the United Arab Emirates in a tour showcasing Israel’s new ties with the Gulf nation.