Isaac Hertzog, the 11th president of the state of Israel, will be the first Israeli president to visit Albania, says in this interview with Albanian Daily News, the Ambassador of Israel to Albania, Ms. Galit Peleg. Madam Ambassador speaks on the top-level visit that takes place today, while reiterating the Israeli stance on the 11-month war that is going on in Gaza against the Hamas terror organization, which she describes as the most challenging time since the country’s creation.

Responding at international criticism regarding the rising number of civilian victims among Palestinians, she reminds who started this conflict, and notes that when six Israeli hostages were found killed, “the other shock after that monstrous deed was the lack of reaction from those who call themselves leaders and activists of the free world, the "knights" of human rights.”

“That the goal of the terrorists is not to end the war with Israel, but to continue to Europe and rest of the western world. No democracy in Europe can afford to think that you are safe because today Israel is fighting against Iran and its proxies in the Middle East. I don't even want to think what will happen to Europe if Israel will not win this war,” says Ambassador Galit Peleg.

On this and other issues, find below the full interview:

- In the first place thank you for this conversation Madame Ambassador and my first question is which are your expectations for the historic visit of President Herzog to Tirana on September 11?

- Indeed, an historic visit. Our countries will soon celebrate 34 years of diplomatic relations and President Isaac Herzog, the 11th president of the state of Israel, will be the first Israeli president to visit Albania.

I believe this is a very important landmark to both Israel and Albania in light of the close relations between our countries; long term relations since World War II that are getting better and stronger in many levels.

President Hertzog will meet Albanian highest officials including President Begaj, PM Rama and speaker of the parliament Spiropali, but his program will additionally relate to the history of Albania and to our mutual historic chapters.

Also, a high-level economic delegation will accompany the president to meet with their local counterparts. This delegation includes participants from business, entrepreneurial and innovation sectors.

-The visit of the President takes place after a horrible murder of 6 hostages by Hamas a few days ago which has prompted massive protests by citizens in different parts of Israel who ask by Israeli PM a ceasefire Ms. Ambassador what message does the President bring to Tirana about that brutal crime but in general what is going on in the long war between Israeli army and the Hamas terrorists?

-In the last 11 months Israel has been going through the most challenging time since its creation. The events of the massacre of 7th October are still very much vivid and influencing the lives of Israelis and Jews around the world in all sorts of levels. First and foremost, we feel for the families of the hundreds of hostages that were taken by Hamas and that we have no information about their situation. In this environment the cold-blooded cruel execution last week, of the 6 young men and women, was a shock to all of us.

Perhaps the other shock after that monstrous deed was the lack of reaction from those who call themselves leaders and activists of the free world, the "knights" of human rights.

Just like we witnessed the indifference to the testimonies of rapes and sexual harassments by the victims of 7th of October. Unfortunately, when it comes to Jews, especially Israelis, they forget their "holy wars" against evil and injustice.

The people in Israel, both in the streets and in the government, aim to the same results: bring home all the hostages and bring peace and security to the people of Israel. Security means making sure that Hamas terrorists will no longer control Gaza.

I think the president is going to deliver the same message, because our hostages must be immediately released and the whole world realizes that this situation, that a terror organization, that declares above every stage that its main goal is to kill as many Jews as possible, and at the same time is willing to sacrifice its own people for this cause, cannot be allowed to stay in power.

-Does Israel feel a sort of isolated as even some close allies demand a ceasefire to stop the bloodshed but most of them demand from Hamas the release of the other hostages denouncing the latest murder of 6 hostages?

- Israel has faith in its friends and has faith in itself. Every nation must have the right to defend itself, and Israel is no different.

Having said that, it is obvious today more than ever, that the goal of the terrorists is not to end the war with Israel, but to continue to Europe and rest of the western world. No democracy in Europe can afford to think that you are safe because today Israel is fighting against Iran and its proxies in the middle East. I don't even want to think what will happen to Europe if Israel will not win this war. But we will win!

Therefore, Israel expects its friends, its allies and the rest of the democratic international community to stand with Israel in fight against terror, in all fronts: Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthis in Yemen. And, as I mentioned, the head of the snake that connects all the dots and promotes terror and instability as a part of its foreign policy, meaning Iran.

Of course, in the humanitarian aspects, Israel expects every nation that respects life and human rights, to fight, to pressure, to peruse the immediate release of the remaining hostages, those who are still alive and can be saved and also the bodies of those who were murdered and kidnapped on October 7th or were murdered in captivity.

-How does the Israeli people feel for the innocent Palestinians among whom children killed in the clashes between Israel and Hamas?

-Israelis don't hate the Palestinians; we don't glow when children are dying and we don't distribute candies in the streets when civilians are being killed in the war.

Israel is fighting a terror organization that does not hesitate to hide behind women and children. They set their headquarters in hospitals, they hide their weapons and rockets in schools and mosques, they use ambulances as transportation for terrorists and weapons.

Last week we witnessed the unbelievable photos of the nursery that is located above the tunnel in which the 6 hostages were executed.

It is very difficult to fight Hamas without casualties on the Palestinian side.

Having said that, look at the numbers and compare them to other war zones in the world and you will see that the proportions prove that Israel has no intention to kill civilians, definitely not children.

Since the beginning of the war Israel created humanitarian corridors for the civilians to move to safer zones, coordinated the humanitarian supplies that are being delivered into Gaza daily, coordinating the Polio vaccines into Gaza, etc.

On October 7th we were amazed to see many Palestinian civilians from Gaza joining the terrorists invading into the Israeli communities, celebrating the massacre, looting the houses and beating the hostages as they were taken into Gaza.

Do you know that some of the victims that were murdered on that horrible day were Israelis that used to go to the crossing once a week and drive sick Palestinian children to hospitals in Tel Aviv?

I wish we could find on the Palestinian side many that would have thought of the Israeli children who were slaughtered in their beds, burned to death, witnessing their parents murdered and raped in front of their eyes.

But I will stress it as many times as needed: Israel does not fight the Palestinian civilians. We fight the terrorists that still keep our hostages and threaten the lives of millions of Israelis.

Once Hamas will release all hostages and will put down their weapons, the war will end.

-Ms. Ambassador let me turn to the situation of some Arab countries. Some of them are making efforts to strike a deal between the warring parties but some others seem not to get involved? Please according to you what is happening in the Arab world whose countries do not seem in unison about getting involved in the conflict?

-There was a British Prime Minister that said once, when he was asked about the British foreign policy "We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow.”

I think that countries are making their choice by what they think is good for their interests.

we have to understand that the architecture of the Middle East in the 21st century has changed: if decades ago, regarding Israel, the Arab world was almost one monolithic block (with minor nuances), things has changed, many of these countries understood that Israel is not the villain of the region. The moderate regimes in our region understood that in order to prosper they should normalize their relations with Israel, both in the economic sector, but also security wise. Many of the leaders in the Middle East notice that instability and terror are coming as a threat from Iran and therefore they better stand together with Israel against those who really have intentions to harm them.

That doesn’t mean that they stopped carrying for their Palestinian brothers, but they understand that there is no contradiction. Israel also wants to find a solution, but first has to make sure it is secured and able to protect its own people.

- Seeing the dynamic of the events, do you see the threat of an expansion of the conflict?

-On October 8th last year, encouraged by the massacre conducted by Hamas from Gaza, Hezbollah started launching rockets and explosive drones into Israel from Lebanon. Over 100,000 Israelis are still displaced from the homes since the beginning of the war, many houses were bombed, fields were burned, military and civilians were killed. Not to mention the 6 civilians that were murdered in the last week in 2 separate terror attacks by Palestinians and Jordanians.

I think this conflict already expanded.

So far Israel showed restrain since we have no intention to start another front in this war. We tried to contain the conflict in the border with Lebanon, despite the suffering of the people who live on our northern border. That doesn’t mean that Israel does not react, of course, but so far mainly through very focused attacks on Hezbollah sources.

I cannot predict what the future will bring, I can only hope that the situation will not escalate. Israel has no interest to promote that scenario.

We expect the international community to stop Hezbollah, to put pressure on Iran who is supporting, training, financing and arming their proxies in Lebanon in other fronts. We expect the United Nations Security Council to implement its own resolution 1701, taken in 2015, that orders Hezbollah forces to withdraw behind the Litani River, because we don't want to do it for them. That doesn't mean that we won’t do it if we find no other solution. Israel cannot continue living under constant attacks.

-I have followed for decades the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians with many wars taking place and they had a start, a development and at long last it is found a common language. Please which is your opinion about the current ongoing conflict lasting for a long time: will we see in the future a deal between Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and prosperity?

-Our late Prime Minister, Mrs. Golda Meir said "we will have peace when the Arabs will love their children more then they hate us".

I believe many Arab countries already adopted this equation. Unfortunately, the Palestinians are not there yet. When they will come to the conclusion that there is no other solution then living side by side in peace, I think they will find neighbors that will help them prosper.