On the evening of April 19, during Chol Hamoed Pesach, Ambassador David Friedman, who was the U.S. ambassador to Israel from March 2017 to January 2021, received the prestigious Guardian of Zion Award from the Ingeborg Rennert Center for Jerusalem Studies of Bar Ilan University, sponsored by Ira and Ingeborg Rennert. Mrs. Rennert presented the award at the evening’s conclusion.

The musical entertainment was provided by Kelim Sheluvim, a group of musicians who are part of a Bar Ilan program that, in conjunction with Akim Israel, prepares students with developmental challenges, including autism, in the musical disciplines.

Before the guests entered the elegant dining hall of the King David Hotel for the presentation ceremony and a sumptuous meal, I asked the Ambassador one question: What will he do after the elections in 2024?

He replied, “If a Republican is elected the next president, I hope to return to my previous job.”

In Friedman’s Distinguished Rennert Lecture on Jerusalem on “America’s Biblical Roots” he noted: “One of the most common forms of antisemitism in America is the accusation that Jews have dual loyalty…. In the four years that I was Ambassador to Israel, I was on the receiving end of that terrible canard more than a few times—oddly enough, often by groups of Jewish Americans. It’s shameful and it’s nonsense … Support for Israel is a quintessential American value.”

Referring to the location of the King David Hotel, he continued: “About a kilometer from the ancient City of David, we can’t help but see not only the Biblical roots of America but the geographic roots of America as well…. Recognized as a prophet in all three great monotheistic faiths, Isaiah proclaims, ‘Out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.’ ‘Ki mezion tetze Torah u’dvar Hashem m’Yerushalayim.”

“To understand this connection between the birth of America and the values that emerged from the City of Jerusalem is to understand … why the Pilgrims risked their lives in the 17th century to reach a new world and establish what many of them referred to as a ‘new Jerusalem.’”

He recalled that the United States opened a consulate in Jerusalem in 1844, 104 years before the State of Israel came into existence, “… at which time the new consul general planted an American flag at the Jaffa Gate, and declared that the United States of America ‘hereby extends its protection to the Jews of Jerusalem.’”

Friedman also noted that, in 1995, “the United States Senate, and the United States House of Representatives, by overwhelming majorities, passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act recognizing Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel and mandating the transfer of our embassy to that city,” though only President Trump carried through on the promise.

“Do Jews betray a ‘dual loyalty’ when they support Israel? Absolutely not, God forbid. Jews who support Israel stand for the very best of our American heritage and our American values. America is at its best when it supports Israel.

“The answer to this existential crisis in America is not to become a Republican and it’s not to become a Democrat. The answer is to return to the Judeo-Christian values upon which America was forged—to restore our foundational commitment to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

Friedman added: “Israel has earned the right to be responsible for Jerusalem and it must never relinquish that right. And Israel may never divide Jerusalem—this is the will not only of the Jewish People but of the millions throughout the world, and it is the law of the United States.”

Referring to geopolitical events of the last few years, he said, “The greatest risk to the U.S.-Israel relationship is that America no longer leads the world, whether because it no longer wishes to lead the world or it no longer possesses the moral authority to do so.

“I challenge all Israelis and all Americans to all become Guardians of Zion. To Stand for Zion, for Jerusalem, as the eternal undivided capital of the Jewish State and as the wellspring of all that we hold sacred and worth preserving. In so doing we will stand for all that makes America and Israel the two greatest nations on earth and the last and best hope for our collective humanity.”

The author is an award-winning journalist, theater director and the editor-in-chief of www.WholeFamily.com

(All pictures in the article are credited to Toby Klein Greeenwald)