He shared in the emotional ceremony, "We have a reason to celebrate after these two years. We need to live with great gratitude and remember that nothing is taken for granted. Keep smiling and being happy."
Instead of criticizing Mike Huckabee's meetings with Jonathan Pollard, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, along with the criticism of his television ads before his appointment, Israeli media and public should be "celebrating" the fact that the United States finally has an ambassador who understands Israel's situation from the depths of his heart and defends it without any apology or reservation.
The upcoming Israel Hayom summit takes place at a time when it is clearer than ever that the connection between Israel and Diaspora Jewry is not merely one of philanthropy, but rather a bond of shared destiny and purpose.
I can promise today to Jews here in New York, across the diaspora and to Jews in Israel who have endured so much since October 7th, that in the coming years, we will be the tip off the spear. We will fight the forces that are against us, and hold them accountable.
In Lebanon, as in Lebanon, nothing has changed: a year after the ceasefire, Hezbollah still stands on its feet and refuses to disarm. And the same is true in Gaza: Hamas is rebuilding its forces and its political standing under American protection. We have not learned that war is never an end in itself, it is always meant to serve diplomatic goals.
