Israel to honor Trump’s antisemitism chief Leo Terrell

The Israeli government will honor U.S. Department of Justice Senior Counsel Leo Terrell, who heads the department’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, with its annual Award of Honor for the Fight Against Antisemitism, officials said on Tuesday.

A separate award in memory of the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk will be presented to his pastor, Rob McCoy, recognizing Kirk’s staunch support for Israel and opposition to Jew-hatred.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli will present the awards on Jan. 26 at a gala at Jerusalem’s International Convention Center, launching the Second International Conference on Combating Antisemitism.

The two-day gathering, titled “Generation of Truth,” will take place ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, bringing together political leaders and representatives from more than 20 countries. Discussions will focus on violent Islamist, progressive and far-right antisemitism.

“Senior Counsel Terrell’s leadership and moral clarity have produced tangible, on-the-ground impact and earned him broad recognition among Jewish communities, elected officials and public figures in the United States and around the world,” said Chikli.

The minister added that the annual awards honor individuals who “refuse to remain silent” in the face of a global rise in Jew-hatred.

Confirmed attendees include Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama; former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz; former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison; Argentine Justice Minister Mariano Cúneo Libarona; Brazilian senator and presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro; and Brazilian lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro.

Officials from across Europe, Latin America and North America are also expected, with participating countries including Albania, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Italy, Lithuania, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States.

© JNS