The remains of Herzl's grandparents were brought to Israel; they will be buried on Mount Herzl

A ceremony was held yesterday (Thursday) at the Belgrade airport in preparation for the transfer of the remains of Shimon Leib and Rivka Herzl, the grandparents of the visionary of the state, Benjamin Ze'ev Herzl, to Israel.

The ceremony was attended by the Chairman of the World Zionist Organization Yaakov Hagoel, the Deputy and Acting Chairman of the World Zionist Organization Dr. Yizhar Hess, the Israeli Ambassador to Serbia Avivit Bar-Ilan, Consul Limor Nissim Siton, Prof. Ariel Feldstein, President of the Jewish Community of Zemun Nenad Fogel, Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric, alongside representatives of the Serbian Foreign Ministry, ZAKA, the Ministry of Defense, the Military Rabbinate, and the airline El Al.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who according to the organizers was involved in the contacts that led to the move, did not attend the ceremony. Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric stated during the event that Serbia stands with the Jewish people and that this is a significant day in the relations between the two countries.

At the end of the ceremony, the coffins were loaded onto a flight to Israel. After their arrival, the escort will continue until their burial in the Herzl family plot on Mount Herzl on Wednesday, August 5, marking 77 years since the reinterment of Benjamin Ze'ev Herzl's remains in Jerusalem.

The transfer of the remains of Shimon Leib and Rivka Herzl to Israel comes after about four years of political, diplomatic, and halachic negotiations.