Does US Ambassador Mike Huckabee get any sleep? All US ambassadors to Israel are in great demand, but it’s doubtful that they’ve been to so many important events within less than a month of their arrival in the country.
Events that Huckabee has attended include a visit to the Western Wall on behalf of US President Donald Trump, the presentation of his credentials to President Isaac Herzog, participation in the inaugural JNS International Policy Summit, the Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony honoring Jews who saved Jews that is held annually by B’nai B’rith, the AACI memorial ceremony for American and Canadian citizens who fell in battle as members of the IDF or who were victims of terrorism, a tribute in his honor organized by Pastor John Hagee, the president’s annual Independence Day reception for the diplomatic corps, and an Evangelical reception in his honor organized by Friends of Zion.
But in all probability, the gala event hosted in Huckabee’s honor by United Hatzalah and held at the Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem, was the cherry on top of the cake.
The guest list included major donors to both MOTJ and United Hatzalah, many of whom had been at the MOTJ Remembrance Day event earlier in the week.
MCed by i24’s Miri Michaeli, it was a gala in every sense of the word, with lots of glitter, humor, laughter, a little sadness given the state of the nation, plus top-tier entertainment and lots of good food.
The banquet hall was packed, and United Hatzalah founder and president Eli Beer proved that he not only has a gift for bringing people of different faiths and ethnic backgrounds together to save lives, but he’s also a great organizer, fundraiser, and master showman. What’s more, he does it all with such ease.
No wonder he got a good-natured roasting from Huckabee, who said: “Eli is a piece of work. We love him. No, we tolerate him. We love Gitty [Beer’s wife], but we tolerate Eli.”
Then, in reference to the large number of people accompanying Beer, Huckabee said that they were not there to protect, but to make donors give more.
Then, in a more serious vein, he spoke of what Hatzalah does, and what its volunteers did on October 7, when “they made their way into hell itself to save as many lives as possible.” He also paid tribute to Hatzalah heroes who lost their own lives while trying to save those of others.
In commending Hatzalah’s efficiency, the ambassador mentioned that someone at the US Embassy had a relative with a medical emergency issue, and a United Hatzalah volunteer was there within 90 seconds.
“The world-class medical care in Israel is second to none,” Huckabee declared.
He also spoke of the magnificence of the MOTJ building, not just for its architecture, he clarified, “but for what it represents – the best in the Jewish people from darkness to light.”
Turning to geopolitics, Huckabee warned that Iran must be taken seriously when it says “Death to Israel,” then “Death to the Americans.”
Huckabee was introduced by Sylvan Adams, who is a MOTJ board member. He is also the Israel regional president of the World Jewish Congress, and will be hosting the 17th Plenary Assembly of the WJC at the MOTJ, where on May 18-20 delegates from more than 100 countries will come together to discuss the future of Jewish communities worldwide.
Huckabee was presented with the United Hatzalah award by Miriam Adelson, who had also attended the presentation of his credentials, and Hagee, who noted that Huckabee had been a great governor of Arkansas, and is confident that “he will be the best ambassador ever.”
Another recipient of the UH Award was philanthropist Larry Mizel, who was a co-founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, and is chairman of the MOTJ.
Shai Abramson, the chief cantor of the IDF, delighted guests with a medley of beloved Hebrew songs, which for him was a relief after having participated in services at so many military funerals. There was also spontaneous dancing to the music – men and women in segregated clusters.
Beer, of course, never misses an opportunity to raise money for additional UH equipment and made a pitch for $225,000 for the purchase of an ambulance in memory of 20-year-old paratrooper St.-Sgt. Yair Avitan, who fell in battle in June 2024.
His mother, Einat, wanted to do something in his memory that would perpetuate the values he held dear, and decided that an ambulance would be the best way to keep her son’s memory alive. She has already single-handedly raised in excess of $80,000 from relatives and friends in Ra’anana, where the family lives. In introducing her to the many people who came to honor Huckabee, Beer said, “We save lives with the money you give.”
■ APROPOS THE reception for the diplomatic corps at the President’s Residence, the urgency of the return of the hostages from captivity in Gaza was a paramount issue, emphasized by two rows of yellow chairs, each with a large portrait of a hostage. The hostages also figured in the speeches of both Herzog and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar.
All foreign ministries do tremendous work, often behind the scenes and with little or no credit. Over the years of the Netanyahu regime, the Foreign Ministry has had its wings clipped with budgetary cuts and the usurping of roles. Nonetheless, it still does great work, and Herzog made a point of complimenting the ministry on what it does and has achieved.
He also congratulated Sa’ar on his appointment as foreign minister. Although the two are on opposite sides of the political fence, they are close friends, with relations that go back to the time when both were young men. Herzog revealed that long before Sa’ar entered the political arena, he was a budding journalist, and Herzog had on certain issues been his deep throat.
■ EARLIER IN the day, when inspecting the honor guard of 120 outstanding soldiers, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, when introducing Herzog to individual honorees, highlighted the most outstanding female soldiers.
In recent months there has been unprecedented recognition of the contributions made by female soldiers to the security of the state. This may be the outcome of remorse over October 7, 2023, when reports by a female surveillance unit of suspicious activity in Gaza were ignored, resulting in the loss of more than a thousand lives in the massacre plus those of the fallen soldiers in the ensuing war.
■ DESPITE ALL the pressures of Independence Day, Herzog did not rest up the following day, but called on the papal nuncio, Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana, to convey his condolences over the death of Pope Francis.
The president had already expressed his sympathy to Catholic communities, but in a less official manner, when accepting the credentials of Aileen Mendiola-Rau, the new ambassador of the Philippines. Herzog was in conversation with her when an aide brought him a note informing him of the pope’s death. The Philippines has a very large Catholic community. He also issued a statement of condolence to Catholics and Christians everywhere.
During his visit to the Embassy of the Vatican, Herzog wrote in the condolence book: “May his prayers for peace be realized promptly in the immediate release of Israel’s hostages, who are being cruelly held in a glaring crime against humanity, ethics, and God Himself; in the eradication of hatred and extremism; and in a world of growing compassion in the spirit of the Hebrew prophets and the shared spiritual legacy of humanity.”
■ ASSASSINATED PRIME minister Yitzhak Rabin famously said: “You don’t make peace with friends. You make peace with enemies.” That is the essence of the Parents Circle-Families Forum, whose 600-plus members include Israelis and Palestinians who have lost loved ones in the conflict and have reached the conclusion that it is better to live in peace, harmony, and friendship than in constant animosity and violence.
For the past 20 years, they have held a joint memorial ceremony. This year it was held together with Combatants for Peace.
Since the formation of the forum, many strong friendships have been forged between Israeli and Palestinian members, who see each other first and foremost as human beings.
People who disagree with them can voice their opinions, but hurling stones at a synagogue in which a memorial ceremony is taking place on one of the holiest days in the year is absolutely unacceptable. The synagogue in question was a Reform synagogue in Ra’anana.
When remembering the six million Jews who were murdered or who perished in the Holocaust, no one asks how many of them were Reform Jews. Likewise, when mourning fallen soldiers who fought in the IDF, no one asks to which religious denomination did they belong. Jews, Muslims, and Christians, religious or secular, regardless of their differences, had a common denominator. They were all Israelis, and are counted as such.
The synagogue ceremony was live streamed to support groups abroad. What did the attack do for Israel’s image? People were wounded in the attack, among them Orly Erez-Likhovski, the director of the Israel Religious Action Center. In the face of such behavior, plus ongoing attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank, how can anyone believe Israel’s claims to be seeking peace with the Palestinians and others in the region?
■ PALESTINIANS AND Jews getting together on Remembrance Day is a very sensitive issue, and the pain and the discomfort that it causes to many people is understandable.
There were angry protest demonstrations when David Ben-Gurion entered into diplomatic relations with Germany. There were many who accused him of selling his soul to the devil. But today, Germany is Israel’s best friend in Europe, and cooperates with Israel on many levels. It’s that proven friendship which prompts President Herzog to go to Germany next Monday to celebrate 60 years of diplomatic ties between Israel and Germany.
When he returns home, he will be accompanied by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who has been to Israel on several occasions, and is a warm, sincere, and sympathetic friend.
One of the first places he will visit on this occasion will be Kibbutz Be’eri, where 132 civilians, soldiers, and police were murdered and 125 houses were severely damaged or destroyed in the October 7, 2023, massacre.
Though the relationship between Israel and Germany is referred to as “special” by both countries, there are still Jews who will not set foot in Germany or buy goods made in Germany. There are also Jews who view all Arabs with mistrust and suspicion.
■ FOR ALL that, there are Israelis and Palestinians who are tired of senseless bloodshed, bereavement, and grief, and are genuinely interested in peace so that people on all sides can get on with their lives.
Coming up in the peace camp is the People’s Peace Summit, on Friday, May 9, at the Jerusalem International Convention Center. The demand for attendance has been so high that the organizers have decided to show the opening on big screens in adjacent halls.
The conference has been organized by It’s Time, a coalition of over 60 peace-building and shared society organizations, working together with determination and courage to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a political agreement that will ensure both peoples’ right to self-determination and secure lives.
These organizations believe that it’s time now, amid anger, grief, and pain, after long years of fear and violence, of struggle, of “occupation” and of terrorism, to put an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and ensure that the war that broke out on October 7 must be the last war. They are convinced that it can be, and that after this war will come peace.
Workshops will be held, including some geared to educating for peace. There will also be discussions on numerous peace-related topics. One of the most controversial of these topics will be Jerusalem, which is at the heart of the conflict. Participants will be asked to imagine Jerusalem as the capital of two nations with one homeland.
The real challenge is for Jews and Palestinians to listen to each other, to absorb what is said, and to genuinely try to understand each other’s narrative.
The event will be attended by Palestinians as well as Jews, including peace activists from abroad, and survivors of the Hamas massacre. It is to be hoped there will be no violent demonstrations outside the building.
In addition to discussions, there will also be ongoing musical performances by Dana Berger, Mira Awad, Yaheli Sobol, Rotem Bar Or, Alma Gov, Ahinoam Nini, Yael Dekelbaum, Chemi Rudner, and other well-known entertainers.
■ THE ANNUAL Tel Aviv Conference – The Future of Israel is to be held at Tel Aviv University on Wednesday, May 7, at which one of the speakers will be TAU alumnus President Herzog.
As politics is everything in Israel, among the other speakers will be opposition leader Yair Lapid, MK Ze’ev Elkin, former IDF chief of staff MK Gadi Eisenkot, former justice minister Ayelet Shaked, former defense minister Moshe Ya’alon, Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer, and MK Mansour Abbas, chairman of the Ra’am Party. Among the nonpoliticians will be Amira Oron, a former ambassador to Egypt.
Close by on Wednesday and Thursday, at Expo Tel Aviv, is the annual International Mediterranean Tourism Market, where ambassadors and other diplomats of participating countries will be in attendance at promotional conferences at which a variety of experiences and opportunities that each country has to offer will be presented and discussed. Panamanian Ambassador Ezra Cohen will be telling his audience that Panama has more to offer than the canal.
In Jerusalem, at 5:30 Wednesday evening, the 11th anniversary of the death of Israel Prize laureate and renowned psychologist Prof. Reuven Feuerstein, who was known for his applied systems of structural, cognitive modifiability, will be commemorated with a conference related to the extension of his work. His assessments and theories helped untold numbers of children to triumph over cognitive difficulties.
The conference at the Feuerstein Institute will be presented under the banner of “From Crisis to Hope.” It will feature several experts, including his son Rabbi Dr. Rafi Feuerstein.
■ ALMOST EVERY Israeli newspaper these days is bursting with real estate advertisements and editorial content. But most of this is related to urban renewal in areas that are already built up, instead of focusing on rebuilding areas in the North and the South that were severely damaged by Hamas and Hezbollah. The destruction, which resulted in mass evacuations from both the North and the South, caused enormous grief and hardship, but also provided new opportunities for rebuilding and restructuring.
The situation in the North is compounded by vandalism. People who temporarily return to their homes from time to time, especially people living in Metulla on the Lebanese border, have discovered that in their absence, their property has been ransacked and many of their possessions have been stolen. In addition, closets that were tidy are left with open, sometimes partially broken doors, with whatever is left of the contents in an untidy jumble.
The May 21 Alma Center Conference on Reshaping the Northern Front, which will be held at Kibbutz Lohamei Hagetaot, will address both the opportunities and the new threats confronting residents of northern border communities.
While the physical rehabilitation of the North is extremely important and something that property developers should take on as a national mission, making the North a safe place for all its residents, whatever their religion, ethnicity, or political affiliations, is a No. 1 priority.
Toward this end, the Alma Center Conference will deal with Lebanon and a historic opportunity to oust Hezbollah. It will also discuss the new threat from Syria, and in its final session, the conference will focus on intelligence-based diplomacy and preventing a second October 7.
Interestingly, almost half the speakers are women. This is not part of a feminist agenda, as most of them have long been in the public eye, including Alma Center founder and president Sarit Zehavi. But it does indicate that women are no longer being treated as inferior creatures, and that their opinions, knowledge, and experience are respected in the same way as a man’s opinions, knowledge, and experience are respected.
The women speakers include: Dr. Dina Lisnyansky, Talia Dekel-Fleissig, Col. (ret.) Miri Eisin, and Lt.-Col. (ret.) Avital Leibovich.
■ AMONG THE officials in the entourage of Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides when he came to Israel this week were Thessalia Shambos, the political director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Tasos Tzionis , national security adviser and director of the Cyprus Intelligence Service. Both are former ambassadors to Israel.
Cyprus will next year assume the presidency of the Council of the European Union. “Our priority is to connect India, the Middle East and Europe,” said Christodoulides, who also met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and was accompanied to that meeting by Tzionis and Ambassador Kornelios Korneliou, as well as Minister of Foreign Affairs Constantinos Combos; Energy, Commerce and Industry Minister Giorgos Papanastasiou; Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna, all of whom had been at the meeting with Herzog.
Tzionis had presented his credentials to president Shimon Peres; Shambos had presented hers to president Reuven Rivlin; and Korneliou presented his to Herzog.
■ ON World Press Freedom Day last weekend, the board of the Foreign Press Association in Israel and the Palestinian Territories issued a statement in which it wrote:
“The Foreign Press Association is shocked and saddened that18 months into Israel’s war against Hamas, Israel continues to impose an unprecedented ban preventing foreign journalists from entering Gaza.
“Never in Israel’s history has the government imposed such sweeping restrictions on the media for such an extended period.
“This is a mark of shame for a country that claims to be a beacon of democracy.
“We salute our Palestinian colleagues who continue to report the story at great personal risk. Nonetheless, the Israeli restrictions have severely hindered independent reporting and robbed the world of a full picture of the situation in Gaza.
“Our repeated requests for dialogue and access have been snubbed, and the government has sought to repeatedly delay our case to the Supreme Court. We call on Israel to stop the never-ending delays, uphold the fundamental principles of press freedom, and allow unrestricted entry for journalists to Gaza.”
In a digital communications era, Israel is doing itself a disservice by preventing representatives of foreign media from reporting the war as they see it. Under the present circumstances, the world is exposed mainly to Palestinian reporting or to reporting by foreign journalists who are stationed in Gaza, and therefore receive only one side of the story. Whether the blame rests with Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, the IDF, or some other source is immaterial. The fact is that preventing journalists from doing their job is illogical and undemocratic.
■ AUSTRALIAN JEWS are not exactly sitting in the proverbial sackcloth and ashes, following the surprise victory of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in last Saturday’s federal elections, but it is a bitter pill to swallow.
Although many political pundits were taken aback by the outcome, it was not all that much of a surprise, considering that Australia’s Palestinian population outnumbers the Jewish population by leaps and bounds. Albanese has long been the Palestinians’ man in Parliament, and most of them obviously voted him back into office for a second term.
Whether this means that we’ll see more immigration of Jews from Australia to Israel is doubtful. Despite the disturbing spike in antisemitism, Australia has always been a lucky country for Jews, and Jews have been good citizens, contributing much to culture, law, medicine, and industry.