Israel buried the remains of Shimon (Leib) and Rivka Herzl, grandparents of the late Theodor Herzl, in Mount Herzl on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and several other top officials were present at the ceremony to receive and bury the remains.
The initiative to bring the bodies to Israel was led by World Zionist Organization (WZO) Chairman Yaakov Hagoel in coordination with the Serbian authorities and the local Jewish community, having secured the repatriation with the aid of an agreement for the exhumation from Republika Srpska President Zeljka Cvijanović during her 2021 visit to Mount Herzl on a WZO-organized trip.
The transfer faced multiple delays due to regional security challenges and logistical hurdles before finally moving forward, despite the diplomatic arrangement being established years ago.
Herzl's Zionist mentality inspired by his grandparents
Shimon, an Orthodox Jew who served in honorary leadership roles in the Zemun community in Serbia, became an enthusiastic advocate for establishing a Jewish state in the Land of Israel.
Both he and Rivka helped inspire, guide, and influence Theodor’s Zionist thinking, which would create the movement Theodor later founded.
Alex Carson contributed to this report.