Israeli President Isaac Herzog called on Israelis to approach the upcoming national election as a democratic exercise rather than a source of internal conflict during an October 15 visit to Israel’s embassy in Baku, where diplomats began casting their ballots ahead of the October 27 election.

Herzog met with Israeli Ambassador to Azerbaijan Ronen Kraus as the embassy polling station opened. He noted that Israeli representatives serving overseas were among the first voters worldwide to participate in the election.

“The state’s representatives here are among the first people in the world to vote in the elections for Israel, and they are now about to cast their ballots properly and in accordance with the law as the polling station opens,” he said.

Herzog described the voting process as an expression of Israel’s democratic values and urged citizens to participate in deciding the country’s future.

“These elections are a celebration of democracy in Israel and at its embassies abroad,” he said, encouraging “all citizens of the state to exercise their right to vote and, of course, to help shape Israel’s future.”

The president emphasized that political disagreements should not turn the election into a struggle between fellow citizens, stressing the importance of democratic participation in determining Israel’s direction.

“Elections are not a civil war,” Herzog said. “On the contrary, this is our true process for influencing our lives and determining the direction in which the country is headed.”