Israel Hayom’s First U.S. Summit Calls for Unity Amid Rising Threats

Future generations must be able to declare “Am Israel Chai” with pride and confidence.

By United with Israel Staff

Israeli media outlet Israel Hayom held its first U.S. summit in Manhattan on Tuesday, bringing together senior American and Israeli officials, diplomats, former hostages, security experts and Jewish community leaders for a wide-ranging discussion on the future of the Israel–United States partnership and the mounting threats facing the Jewish world.

Throughout the evening, speakers highlighted the deep ties between the two nations and the urgent need to reinforce them.

Dr. Miriam Adelson described the Israel–U.S. relationship as a “majestic alliance” that rises above politics and serves as a cornerstone for both Western civilization and Jewish continuity. She urged the audience to draw strength from Jewish history, saying that earlier generations “would have happily traded places with us today” and that future generations must be able to declare “Am Israel Chai” with pride and confidence.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned that Israel is losing ground among young Americans who repeat slogans without understanding. She said Israel’s public relations challenges have worsened and that many people shouting “from the river to the sea” have no idea what river or what sea they are referencing. Clinton said Israel must do a better job communicating why its security matters across generations.

Israeli Minister Amichai Chikli offered one of the most forceful assessments of the evening, focusing on regional dangers and the growing global assault on Jews. He warned against legitimizing extremist factions, stating bluntly, “Erdogan is Muslim Brotherhood, Jolani is Muslim Brotherhood.”

He added that Israel must maintain its forces in the buffer zone and continue fighting jihadist groups, insisting that “there will be no peace agreement with Jolani” because “he has zero legitimacy” and any attempt to credit him was a mistake.

Chikli also addressed the rapid rise of antisemitism. He recalled entering office believing that right-wing antisemitism in the United States amounted to “some lunatic in a basement, someone with no influence,” and that the primary threat came from the far left and Islamist circles “who work together.” Now, he argued, “two years later it is a completely different story.”

He described a sharp increase in “white supremacy, Nazi antisemites, conspiracies, religious attacks against Jews and Nazi ideology that is becoming popular,” pointing to public figures such as Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes who, he said, have helped push this rhetoric into the American mainstream.

On the diplomatic front, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman clarified that ongoing debates about Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria were misplaced. “Annexation is not going to happen,” he said, emphasizing that there will not be any unilateral moves while Israel is fighting a war it did not seek and that no country would tolerate the rocket fire Israel has endured.

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, dismissed attempts by fringe lawmakers to prevent Israel’s prime minister from visiting the United States. “Mamdani does not decide who comes to New York or to the United Nations,” he said, affirming that Israel’s leadership will continue to engage internationally without hesitation.

One of the most emotional moments came when former hostages Guy Gilboa Dalal and Evyatar David addressed the audience. Friends since early childhood, they described how their bond turned into a pact of survival during more than two years in Hamas captivity. “It was a kinship of survival. Everything we got, we just split in two,” Evyatar said. Observers noted the way the two men seemed to communicate instinctively, a connection shaped by trauma and forged in circumstances no human being should endure.

As the evening concluded, the message echoed across the room: Israel’s struggle is not only on the battlefield but also in the court of global opinion and in the rising tide of antisemitism spreading throughout the West. Speakers stressed that confronting these challenges requires unwavering cooperation between Jerusalem and Washington, anchored in shared values and a shared destiny.

The summit closed with a sense of resolve. Israel’s adversaries are determined, but so are its allies. With the United States standing firmly beside Israel, the Jewish state will continue to survive, thrive and serve as a pillar of democratic strength in an increasingly unstable world.