Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo draws criticism after meeting Israeli envoy in Naga

ASM, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
October 08, 2026

Photo courtesy: Naga City Tourism | Facebook

NAGA CITY, Philippines — Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo has drawn criticism from some Filipinos online after welcoming Israeli Ambassador Dana Kursh during an official visit to the city, as the continuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza keeps Israel under international scrutiny.

Kursh paid a courtesy call on Robredo at Naga City Hall on October 5 as part of a wider visit to the Bicol Region. The Israeli envoy also visited the Museo ni Jesse Robredo, which documents the late mayor and interior secretary’s life and governance legacy, and Huna Huna Art Space, a local cultural and creative hub. 

The visit was not limited to Naga. Kursh also met other Bicol officials and institutions as Israel and the Philippines explored cooperation in areas including agriculture, food security and disaster preparedness, particularly as communities prepare for the effects of El Niño. Philippine News Agency reporting said Kursh’s regional trip was aimed at learning about local challenges and identifying potential areas for collaboration. 

But images of Robredo receiving the ambassador quickly became a point of debate online.

Critics questioned whether the Naga government should have extended a warm public welcome to an Israeli representative while Palestinian deaths and destruction in Gaza continue. ThePILLARS, a Bicol-based student publication, was among those that publicly criticized both the Naga City government and Bicol University for receiving Kursh. 

The reaction also came around the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken into Gaza. Israel’s subsequent military campaign has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities cited by Reuters, while much of the territory has been devastated. 

Others defended Robredo’s meeting as an ordinary diplomatic courtesy rather than an endorsement of the Israeli government’s conduct in Gaza. Online discussions reflected both positions, with some users arguing that receiving a foreign ambassador is part of a local chief executive’s representational role, while others said public officials should use such engagements to take a clearer human-rights position. 

Kursh has served as Israel’s ambassador to the Philippines since presenting her credentials in August 2025. The two countries continue to maintain formal diplomatic relations, with cooperation extending across agriculture and other government-to-government programs. 

The Naga visit itself was publicly presented as a courtesy and regional cooperation engagement, with discussions focused on local governance, culture and areas where Israeli expertise could support agriculture and disaster resilience in Bicol. No evidence from the visit indicates that Robredo expressed support for Israel’s military actions in Gaza.