Israeli president and Iran’s VP trade barbs in Davos war of words

Israel’s president and Iran’s vice president exchanged sharp words this week at Davos, with Isaac Herzog dismissing Mohammad Javad Zarif as powerless, prompting a fiery response in which the Iranian official called Herzog a “nobody.”

On Tuesday, at the World Economic Forum summit, Herzog was asked by conference interviewer Fareed Zakaria what message he had to convey to Javad Zarif, Iran's representative at the annual meeting.

”I’m not sure he's involved any longer in decision-making in the Iranian leadership, even if he has a title," Herzog replied.

Zarif, the VP for Strategic Affairs, was outraged at the public snub, retorting on Wednesday at the conference that Herzog is “a nobody in Israel”, when speaking at a round table at Davos.

The Israeli president snapped back with a public statement saying, ”Mr. Zarif, I suggest you look in the mirror”.

Zarif said: "Herzog can come to Switzerland because he is just another person in Israel; otherwise, he would have gone to The Hague like Netanyahu and Gallant,” delivering another sharp rebuke.

His comment referenced the International Criminal Court (ICC) proceedings against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant.

The two are accused of war crimes in Gaza, meaning that the 124 countries recognized by the ICC in theory, are able to arrest the pair.

While the ICC lacks its own enforcement mechanisms and the court depends on member nations to cooperate in executing arrest warrants, which they are obligated to enforce, Switzerland is one of the countries believed to be complying with the ICC.

During his Davos speech, Herzog called Iran an "evil empire" that spends billions to finance its military allies including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen, which have been in a 16-month conflict with Israel since the October 7 attacks by Hamas in 2023.

"Iran is repeatedly investing billions at the expense of its citizens to create a base for terrorism, it's unbelievable,” Herzog told attendees.

"They are working even now and do not take stock of how they failed and how much sadness they caused. They continue to rush towards the bomb, constantly planning terrorist attacks all over the world, including in our region - especially the Revolutionary Guards [IRGC] … there is a great danger as long as this regime in Iran remains in place and continues its efforts.”

As the shadow war between Iran and Israel came to the fore last year, with Iran launching two direct attacks on Israel and Israel allegedly doing a brazen assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in an IRGC compound in Tehran, the two countries’ leaders continue with fighting talk.

In April and October, Iran launched hundreds of drones, rockets and ballistic missiles to Israel, sending millions of people into shelters.

“We believe that there should be a clear message from world leaders to Iran - no more,” said Herzog.