U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Tuesday evening scolded European countries for censuring Israel over the situation in Gaza instead of putting the blame on Hamas, where he said it belonged.
Speaking at the third annual “Pulse of Israel” conference at Jerusalem’s Menachem Begin Heritage Center, Huckabee said that one would think European countries who fought the Nazis in World War II would understand that fighting Hamas is a noble cause.
“You don’t blame the people who are under attack because the savages attacked them. You stand with those who believe in freedom. You stand with those who believe in a civilized society,” he said.
“You do not stand with the people who think it’s OK to take hostages and torture them, and keep them from their families and use them as a negotiating tool, which is what [Hamas] terrorists do,” he added.
The ambassador made it clear at the event that U.S. President Donald Trump understands Hamas will have no future role in Gaza after the war.
“Leaving Hamas in Gaza would be as ridiculous as having left the Nazis in Germany after World War II and hoping they might change their ways,” he said.
Exclaiming that he didn’t understand how leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron had the gall to declare that they would unilaterally recognize a Palestinian State at the United Nations General Assembly this September, Huckabee said, “It’s really not that bad of an idea, provided he [Macron] wants to host that state along the French Riviera.”
Huckabee concluded by heaping praise on Israel and its people for their resilience, and said that “Israel’s optimism comes from understanding that God has a people, a place, and a purpose for which they have been created, and it’s the trust in him.”
Pulse of Israel founder and CEO Avi Abelow told JNS the purpose of the conference was to empower Jews and non-Jewish supporters of Israel alike to move forward as leaders of humanity, with so many world leaders failing the Jewish state.
“The Jewish People are a light unto the nations, and must be the ones to lead, not because we necessarily want to be, but because that’s our God-given role,” said Abelow.
It wasn’t just about Israel protecting itself, “but to save the whole of humanity from the moral confusion and immorality that’s coming from many leaders, especially in the west today,” he continued.
Abelow stressed that Israel was stronger now than even before, despite the Oct. 7 massacre, and has become a regional superpower, being begged by minorities including the Druze in Syria to protect them. Without Israel’s presence, he said, that group would be massacred and ethnically cleansed.
“In this darkness, the world is starving not for truth but for moral clarity, for principled leadership, and for a people willing to stand unshaken no matter how loud the lies, or how strong the pressure,” he said.
Panama’s ambassador to Israel, Ezra Cohen, stressed that many in the world don’t understand the realities of the situation here, and therefore Israel needs to work on its outreach efforts and encourage people to come to Israel to see for themselves what was really going on.
With regard to the situation in Gaza, Cohen said he fully trusts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he says there is no starvation there. In reality, Cohen said, the United Nations doesn’t want to deliver the aid which Israel provided.
Overall, he was very optimistic about Israel’s war effort, telling JNS, “We are living in challenging times. Israel is being attacked on eight fronts, but as Israel has done in the past, I’m anticipating a huge victory.”
Jewish/Israel social media influencer Lizzy Savetsky was presented at the conference with the Pulse of Israel “Brave Leadership of Zion Award” for her advocacy efforts.
She told JNS that it was the responsibility of all Jews during this critical moment to use their God-given gifts to ensure a better future for the State of Israel and the Jewish people.
“I wake up every day and think about my ancestors and what they fought through, and how they survived so I could have this life that I have,” she said. “To me that comes with responsibility, and I think about my kids and making sure I do everything to give them the best Jewish future possible.”
Rawan Osman, a Syrian-Lebanese activist for peace with Israel, told JNS she was honored to speak at the event. Israel’s mission as the Jewish State, which also includes a non-Jewish population, is to bring light to the world, she said. She encouraged Jews of all stripes to step up for Israel.
“We are here tonight to remind folks that even if they are disconnected from Judaism and their Jewishness, once upon a time, one of their ancestors accepted the mission, and we desperately need them to embrace it now more than ever,” she said.
Some of the other speakers at the conference included Likud Knesset member Amit Halevi; Mordechai Kedar, Research Fellow at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies; Tom Nisani, Founder of Beyadeinu, dedicated to raising awareness about the Temple Mount; professor Eugene Kotorovich, international law expert; Robert Meyer, founder of isradvocacy.org; and Rabbi Leo Dee.
The theme of the conference was “Light unto the Nations: A new Era for Israel and the Region.” The Pulse of Israel is a project of the 12Tribe Films Foundation. It features high-quality short videos with VIP personalities that entertain, inspire, and educate about Israel.
The event’s master of ceremonies was JNS podcast host Meira Cowland Kolatch.
