There are many dinners to attend each year. Some feature an entertaining speaker. A select few highlight a great speaker. The Bet El 34th annual dinner, to be held on December 4 at the Marriott Marquis, will be an event that will shape the future. This dinner will showcase two great speakers, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, and current Israeli ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon. These men are two distinctly extraordinary individuals, but at this event will be united in one combined cause—the survival and flourishing of Israel and America.

John Bolton is a world-renowned expert on international affairs. He has been a key political figure since he was tapped to serve in the Reagan administration in the ‘80s. He was the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under George W. Bush. He is a frequent guest on CNN, FOX News and many other major broadcast networks. Most importantly, John Bolton is the chairman of the pro-Israel Gatestone Institute, championing causes for Israel internationally.

Bolton said in a statement regarding his philosophy, “We must be prepared to do whatever it takes to protect the idea of American exceptionalism and our basic constitutional priorities—the preservation of which are essential not only to our security, but to our greatest ally, Israel, as well.”

Bolton is a steadfast supporter of the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and, like many members of Netanyahu’s cabinet, an opponent of Palestinian statehood, claiming that it “would inevitably lead to a terrorist state on the other side of the border with Israel.”

Ambassador Danny Danon is a rising star in Israeli politics. He is Israel’s permanent representative to the United Nations. Danon previously served a member of the Knesset. During his term in the 18th Knesset, Danon served as deputy speaker, as well as chair of the special committee on the rights of the child. In June 2016, Danon was elected as chair of the UN’s legal committee, the first Israeli to ever hold the position.

Danon said he has three agendas. The first is to use the U.N. as a vehicle through which to share Israel’s technological, medical, agricultural, scientific and other gifts with the world. The second is to vociferously fight the systemic prejudice against Israel that plagues the U.N. The third is to “go on the attack” to combat attempts to promote the boycott of Israel and incitement against the Jewish state.

Danon brings a fighter’s spirit to the United Nations. “I can assure you, they will know that we will not be silent and sit idly by when someone is bashing us. We will stand up; we will fight. And before they speak again, they will know that the Israelis are here to talk, and will not sit quietly when bashed.”

With these two insightful, courageous statesmen on the same dais, attendees can expect an exciting, eventful night that will shape the future of Israel and America.

With all the news being dominated by Arab propaganda about “Israeli occupation,” fictitious IDF assaults and actual assaults on Israelis, here is the true story of what is taking place in Biblical Judea and Samaria. Spearheaded by visionaries like Jean and Eugen Gluck, there are Jewish communities who are doing everything to bring light and warmth to the world, promoting social justice and compassionate values of which all can be proud, and which visionaries John Bolton and Danny Danon are proud to support.

Bet El’s extraordinary story began 4,000 years ago, when the patriarch Abraham established it as a camp along his Divinely inspired trek through the land of Canaan. Two generations later, Bet El became the site of Jacob’s famous dream and dramatic wrestling match with an angel—the site where the name “Israel” was coined.

Today, Beth El has transformed from a tiny community of eight families in 1977 to a vibrant Jewish center that now houses an ethnically diverse Jewish population of over 10,000. Bet El is home to the world-renowned Bet El Yeshiva Center, which provides a comprehensive education to students from preschool through post-college. Their graduates have become the leading teachers in yeshivas and high schools across Israel, bringing the spirit of Torah to all.

The Raaya Girls High School Academy in Bet El is celebrated as one of the premier learning centers in all of Israel and can’t accommodate all the girls who want to attend.

The national media network Arutz Sheva, located in Bet El, with parallel websites in Hebrew, English and Russian, brings a message of optimism and hope to supporters of Israel worldwide. It is a major force in the media today combating the de-legitimization of the State of Israel.

BeSheva Newspaper, also located in Bet El, is the third-largest circulation newspaper in all of Israel, with engaging articles and focus on the accomplishments of outstanding individuals and institutions throughout Israel. It encourages all Israelis to be better citizens.

The people of Bet El are also blazing a trail for the military struggle for the defense of the land and people of Israel. The Israeli Defense Forces Gluck Preparatory Academy has accomplished what many thought was impossible. Their mission is to strengthen the adolescent spirit and character before young adults enter the Israeli army. There are hundreds of students who changed their lives for the better at Bet El and go on to serve Israel filled with spiritual strength and their desire to serve in elite units and as officers.

Bet El isn’t just a settlement. It is a microcosm of the very essence of Israel. How was this spiritual oasis created? What makes it thrive? Thirty years ago, Yom Kippur War hero Yaakov “Ketzaleh” Katz, along with a few families and yeshiva students, had a vision of what Bet El could be. With three decades of tireless help from Jean and Eugen Gluck and the American Friends of Bet El, the town is now a vibrant center of Jewish life that nurtures all of Israel in a way that no other center of learning matches. Bet El is not just a learning center, it is a way of life.

The story of Bet El is the story of the heart of Israel. It is where Abraham first proclaimed the oneness of God, and it is where Abraham’s children now nurture the passion of Israeli life. When you look at the people of Bet El today, you see the people of 4,000 years ago in spirit, and all the generations in between, with the glow of God around them. You see people smiling with knowledge of the meaning of existence, which is to help one another, to further the teachings of Torah, to help Israel live and be the foundation of Jewish life in the entire world. The establishment and flourishing of this community is a tremendous accomplishment for the entire Jewish people. All who support Israel should support the heart of Israel, Bet El.

On December 4, at the Marriott Marquis ballroom in Manhattan, American Friends of Bet El will honor the residents and supporters of the northern Samarian town who have toiled selflessly for the survival and growth of their community and the State of Israel. Now in its 34th year, the American Friends of Bet El dinner has become one of New York City’s largest and most prestigious Jewish events, with last year’s dinner attracting an astounding 1,500 attendees.

In addition to hearing guest speakers, Ambassadors John Bolton and Danny Danon, Bet El will honor the following well-deserved supporters: the Shomer Yisrael honorees are Marc and Alan Berger, the Builder of Bet El award goes to Larry Gordon, the Young Leadership awardees are Pinny and Yael Farkas, and the guests of honor are Ken and Nira Abramowitz.

The event will begin with a 6 p.m. buffet dinner. Tickets are $500 per couple. To make your reservation, contact Baruch Gordon at 917-595-0435.

Bet El, and those attending the dinner, must thank Dr. Joseph Frager, a great philanthropist dedicated to Bet El and all of Israel.