Israel To Honor Leo Terrell And Charlie Kirk At International Conference On Combating Antisemitism

JERUSALEM — The Government of Israel will present its annual Award of Honor for the Fight Against Antisemitism to Senior Counsel Leo Terrell, chair of the U.S. Department of Justice Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, at a special gala in Jerusalem next week. A second, special Award of Honor will be presented posthumously in memory of Charlie Kirk, recognizing his public advocacy and steadfast support for Israel and the Jewish people.

The awards will be presented on Monday, January 26, at the Jerusalem International Convention Center, known as Binyanei HaUma. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli will jointly confer the honors.

The gala will mark the opening of the Second International Conference on Combating Antisemitism, titled “Generation of Truth.” The conference, initiated by Minister Chikli, will take place January 26 and 27 in Jerusalem, ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Organizers say the event is intended to strengthen international cooperation and develop practical tools to confront antisemitism worldwide.

Terrell is being recognized for his work leading the U.S. Department of Justice Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, established to address the sharp rise in antisemitic incidents in the United States since October 7. In that role, Terrell has focused in particular on antisemitism on university campuses, where Jewish students and faculty have reported intimidation, exclusion, and harassment.

Since October 7, the Trump administration has taken a firm public stance against antisemitism and in support of Israel’s right to defend itself. Israeli officials say Terrell’s efforts have played a key role in holding academic institutions accountable when they failed to address antisemitism within their communities.

“Senior Counsel Terrell’s leadership and moral clarity have produced tangible, on-the-ground impact,” Minister Chikli said in a statement. “He has earned broad recognition among Jewish communities, elected officials, and public figures in the United States and around the world. This award honors those who refuse to remain silent and who choose to stand with the Jewish people, with Israel, and with truth.”

A special Award of Honor will also be presented in memory of Charlie Kirk, a prominent American conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, who was widely known for his outspoken opposition to antisemitism and his strong support for Israel. The award will be accepted by Kirk’s personal pastor, Rob McCoy.

Israeli officials said the recognition is intended to honor Kirk’s enduring legacy and his public challenge to antisemitic rhetoric and efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel. Through his leadership and media presence, Kirk frequently addressed antisemitism across the political spectrum and urged solidarity with the Jewish people.

The “Generation of Truth” conference will include plenary sessions, panel discussions, and closed-door forums involving senior political leaders, policymakers, legal experts, and civil society figures from around the world. According to the organizers, discussions will focus on three central manifestations of contemporary antisemitism.

These include violent Islamist antisemitism, progressive antisemitism that uses the language of human rights to delegitimize Israel and exclude Jews from public life, and far-right antisemitism, which Israeli officials say has intensified and gained renewed legitimacy in recent years.

Confirmed international participants include Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Argentine Minister of Justice Mariano Cúneo Libarona, Brazilian Senator and presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro, and Brazilian congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro. Senior representatives from Europe, Latin America, and North America are also expected to attend.

Participating countries include 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.

Minister Chikli said the conference is being convened in response to what he described as a dangerous escalation in antisemitism over the past year.

“Over the past year, antisemitism has crossed a red line, with Jews murdered around the world simply for being Jewish,” Chikli said. “This conference aims to build an international coalition that understands antisemitism is a murderous ideology threatening the entire free world. It is time to move from defense to offense.”

Israeli officials say the conference is intended not only as a forum for discussion, but as a platform for coordinated international action, as governments and institutions grapple with a surge in antisemitic violence, intimidation, and incitement in Israel, North America, Europe, and beyond.