Herzog and KKL-JNF Launch Global Forum Highlighting Over 1 Billion Shekels for Northern Israel Recovery

Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-JNF World Chairman Eyal Ostrinsky kicked off a five-day international leadership conference in the Galilee, drawing roughly 100 delegates from 33 countries. The opening at Hula Lake Park featured a performance by former Hamas hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen, who returned after 498 days in captivity. Speakers highlighted that more than 1 billion shekels—about $333 million—have been allocated to the north’s recovery, including an 859 million-shekel strategic plan approved in 2026 for infrastructure, community protection, and forest rehabilitation.

The agenda includes panels on climate resilience, Jewish education abroad, and environmental innovation, as well as site visits to farms, damaged forests, and rehabilitation projects. Participants will also engage in a volunteer day and conclude with a cornerstone-laying for a new KKL-JNF House of Excellence in Kiryat Shmona, aimed at providing educational support to local teens.