THE FULL house at the Jerusalem Theatre’s Henry Crown Auditorium comprised a predominantly religious audience. But it was not your usual pre-Rosh Hashanah gathering: It was an evening in support of the Michael Levin Base, which is located near Mahaneh Yehuda.
The base is a nonprofit that provides physical and emotional support to lone soldiers and young women volunteering for National Service. The keynote speaker was US Ambassador Mike Huckabee, who received a standing ovation before and after he spoke. Earlier, Huckabee had been among the speakers at The Jerusalem Post’s annual diplomatic conference at the Friends of Zion Museum.
Some of Huckabee’s predecessors have enjoyed great popularity, but none have been as popular as the current ambassador, whose openly pro-Israel stance is based on faith and strong belief in biblical prophecy.
He began his address on a light note. “When you stood up, I thought you were all leaving. I thought I was back in the States.”
Since their arrival in Israel last April, Huckabee and his wife have received “an incredible reception in Jerusalem,” he said. “We feel at home.” Having previously visited Israel more than a hundred times before coming for close to a four-year stay, the ambassador said: “It’s one place on Earth where I wouldn’t have to use a tourist map.”
Regarding the US-Israel relationship, Huckabee said: “America is not just a friend and an ally; it’s a partner,” joking the US and Israel will never divorce “because neither country can afford the alimony.”
Speaking of lone soldiers, Huckabee repeatedly made the point they had come because they chose to. Huckabee said that he knew parents in the US whose children had joined the IDF and had fallen in battle. They knew the risk involved, but they had wanted to play their part in defending Israel and the Jewish people.
The event had been geared to discussing the rise of antisemitism, and although he wasn’t part of the panel, moderated by Michael Dickson, the executive director of StandWithUs, Huckabee also had something to say on the subject. “Antisemitism has reared its evil head across the world at levels I never thought to see,” he said. “It’s not a geopolitical or social issue. It’s a spiritual issue.”
Former ambassador to the US Michael Oren was born and raised in New Jersey and came to Israel as a lone soldier at a time when far less was done for lone soldiers. He has been deeply involved in Michael Levin lone soldier activities for close to 20 years.
Who was Michael Levin?
Levin, a lone soldier from Pennsylvania, used to gather other lone soldiers in a bid to give them a sense of community and extended family in a country in which they had no relatives and where the language and customs were foreign to them. His dream was to start a special organization to care for them physically, emotionally, and psychologically.
Levin was the first paratrooper and first American to fall in battle in Lebanon. At age 22, his death made a tremendous impression on Israelis, and his funeral at Mount Herzl on Tisha B’Av 2006 was attended by thousands of people. His parents, Harriet and Mark Levin, created the Michael Levin Lone Soldier Foundation to fulfill Michael’s dreams.
This has been done in different locations over the years, and five and a half years ago the Michael Levin Base was added to the list, and it has been growing from year to year. It also cares for Israeli lone soldiers, some of whom are from low socioeconomic backgrounds and some from ultra-Orthodox backgrounds. As some haredi soldiers have been disowned by their families and their communities, and for them the Michael Levin Base is a lifeline.
Oren, a board member of the Michael Levin Base, explained how difficult it is for lone soldiers and how important it is to provide them with all the services, such as meals, accommodation, social life, and invitations to people’s homes. He urged audience members to keep supporting the largely volunteer-run base.
Panelists included Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Israel’s special envoy for trade and innovation; Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Adir Schwarz; and award-winning author and journalist Matti Friedman. It provided food for thought: Hassan-Nahoum said that after Oct. 7, the mask was lifted. Beforehand, there were people who believed that anti-Zionism and antisemitism were two separate subjects. But after Oct. 7, it was obvious that anti-Zionists hate Jews.
Schwarz, whose wife had studied for a master’s degree at Yale University, recalled that when he attended the graduation ceremony, he had been struck by the number of keffiyehs in the auditorium and estimated that they were worn by 70% of the attendees.
Friedman presented the various narratives of antisemites on the Right and the Left of the political aisle, but what they all added up to, he said, is that Jews are presented as the personification of evil.