Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
At the 2026 Middle East Forum Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter delivered a forceful address on Israel’s war, America’s strategic partnership with the Jewish state, and the civilizational stakes of the fight against anti-Israel incitement.
Leiter argues that Israel is not merely a country asking for recognition or sympathy, but a sovereign ally standing on the front line of a broader struggle against Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, and the ideological networks that fuel anti-Israel hatred across campuses, media, and politics. Drawing on personal loss, the murders of Israeli Embassy staffers Sarah Milgram and Yaron Lischinsky, and the aftermath of October 7, he warns that slogans, ideas, and narratives have consequences.
In this address, Leiter also discusses the U.S.-Israel alliance, the campaign against Iran’s nuclear program and proxies, the role of Qatar-backed influence operations, the blood libels directed at Israel, and the possibilities for regional transformation through normalization, deterrence, and renewed American leadership.
The address was delivered at MEF’s Fourth Annual Policy Conference, “America the Unpredictable: Making Sense of the Middle East in a New Era.”
Subscribe for more conversations with leading analysts on the Middle East and beyond.
At the 2026 Middle East Forum Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter delivered a forceful address on Israel’s war, America’s strategic partnership with the Jewish state, and the civilizational stakes of the fight against anti-Israel incitement.
Leiter argues that Israel is not merely a country asking for recognition or sympathy, but a sovereign ally standing on the front line of a broader struggle against Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, and the ideological networks that fuel anti-Israel hatred across campuses, media, and politics. Drawing on personal loss, the murders of Israeli Embassy staffers Sarah Milgram and Yaron Lischinsky, and the aftermath of October 7, he warns that slogans, ideas, and narratives have consequences.
In this address, Leiter also discusses the U.S.-Israel alliance, the campaign against Iran’s nuclear program and proxies, the role of Qatar-backed influence operations, the blood libels directed at Israel, and the possibilities for regional transformation through normalization, deterrence, and renewed American leadership.
The address was delivered at MEF’s Fourth Annual Policy Conference, “America the Unpredictable: Making Sense of the Middle East in a New Era.”
Subscribe for more conversations with leading analysts on the Middle East and beyond.
