An ‘inconvenient truth’ worth fighting for

Alexa Laz

It is becoming more difficult to stand up for the truth these days, particularly the truth about Israel, according to Charles Krauthammer.

“Truth is not a popular word in sophisticated circles,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, best-selling author and Fox News commentator told the crowd at a dinner held in Washington, D.C., on June 18 and hosted by the Endowment for Middle East Truth (EMET).

Krauthammer was joined on the stage by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a once, and possible future, Republican candidate for president; Dr. Ashraf Ramelah, an Egyptian-born architect and human-rights advocate who was honored at the dinner; and Ron Dermer, Israel’s ambassador to the United States.

EMET, a Washington, D.C., based think tank that labels itself “unabashedly Pro-Israel and Pro-American,” hosts monthly seminars on current events affecting the Middle East for the benefit of U.S. politicians, their staff members and the general public. Its goal is to correct misperceptions of Israel and the Middle East; emet is the Hebrew word for “truth.”

Krauthammer, Dermer and Huckabee spoke to the crowd about the importance of supporting Israel, no matter the political cost.
Dermer, who arrived at the dinner fresh from a rally in Washington, D.C., for the three kidnapped boys in Israel, said it has become daunting to be an advocate for Israel today than perhaps even during the days of the early Zionists.

“We face so much opposition and political correctness,” Dermer sighed. “It is very hard to speak the truth again so much opposition,” likening the sometimes venomous attacks on Israel as a new form of blood libel. The ancient lie that Jews took “Christian children and their blood to make matzah” proves, said the ambassador, that “the world could believe a lie and the whole world can be wrong.”

What the world needs to understand about the Jewish people today, said Krauthammer, is that they “have the right to a sovereign state, an independent and free state. Not just the moral right or legal right, but a right that derives from sacrifice. Jews from Israel have fought and died for this Jewish state.”

It would take “60 Vietnam memorials to capture the sacrifice and heroism to fight for the establishment of the state of Israel.”
And yet, despite the enormity of that sacrifice, continued Krauthammer, “Jews have always been willing to compromise” with Israel’s neighboring Arab states that continue to “reject their overtures” for peace.

Gov. Mike Huckabee spoke about the importance and uniqueness of the relationship between the United States and Israel. “The two flags sitting together [on the tables] represent something more than symbolic. It is not an organizational relationship but an organic relationship,” he said.

Huckabee wondered aloud whether this country was still the partner Israel has historically counted on.

“Israel knew with certainty that the U.S. was unwavering in standing with its partner in the Middle East. Now the United States is giving Israel more instructions and telling them to stop doing” what is necessary for the country’s protection. Instead, he said, “The United States needs to tell Iranians to stop building bombs.”

Added Huckabee: “There has never been a time that Israel needs a friend more than right now. Every single American needs to understand it is not only politically smart but just smart all together.”

Originally published at https://washingtonjewishweek.com/13442/an-inconvenient-truth-worth-fighting-for/