Transcript [00:01] [applause] [00:06] >> Thank you. [00:09] Feels like old home to be back here on [00:10] the stage. [00:12] But because I don't have a lot of time, [00:16] I'm not going to tell any jokes this [00:17] year. [00:18] And no, you're not allowed to laugh this [00:20] year. We don't have enough time. [00:22] But [00:23] it it's the pleasure. Before I begin, I [00:26] want to make a presentation [00:28] uh to Pastor Hagee [00:31] uh something special that was delivered [00:33] last week to me in Israel. [00:36] And it's [00:37] this little [00:40] jar. This doesn't come out of my time, [00:42] by the way. This is cuz I'm doing [00:43] something nice. [00:44] You see this? This is the original burnt [00:48] ashes from the Temple Mount from the [00:50] destruction of the Temple. [00:53] And this is going to sit And when they [00:55] came and brought it to me, I said, "The [00:58] most appropriate place for this is a [01:00] Cornerstone Church on the desk of Pastor [01:03] Hagee." [01:06] >> [applause] [01:09] >> So, you're all invited to come and visit [01:11] the bottle on his desk anytime you want. [01:13] Drop in and you'll [01:20] You know, when you come at this point in [01:21] a program, [01:24] as Dorothy Parker once said, "Everything [01:26] has been said, just not everybody has [01:27] said it." [01:31] I will try to um [01:34] address some of the subjects that have [01:36] been raised without repeating all that [01:38] you've heard and not do what I usually [01:39] do about international affairs and a lot [01:41] of the challenges [01:43] uh around. [01:45] But I can't but first notice and [01:48] acknowledge [01:50] the increased Jewish participation this [01:52] year. And it's really wonderful to look [01:55] out and see all of you who are here this [01:57] year. [01:58] >> [applause] [02:04] >> The truth is I come to get my [02:06] semi-annual or quarterly hug from Pastor [02:10] and Diana, and it's worth the trip. [02:13] I was in Israel last week to speak at [02:16] various conferences and a special [02:18] university symposium [02:20] and had many meetings and especially at [02:22] my beloved Jerusalem Great Synagogue [02:24] where I'm honored to serve as president [02:26] and where we have the Pastor John and [02:28] Diana Diana Hagee wall of tribute to [02:32] outstanding non-Jewish friends of Israel [02:35] and the Jewish people for all that they [02:37] have done. And seeing their name in the [02:39] main lobby of the Great Synagogue of [02:42] Jerusalem gives me a thrill every time. [02:46] They deserve. [02:48] >> [applause] [02:50] >> Everywhere in the halls of government [02:52] to the ballrooms of the hotels, a mere [02:55] mention of CUFI brings amazing [02:57] expressions [02:59] of recognition of appreciation [03:02] and of reciprocated love. [03:05] They know [03:07] who our true friends are. [03:09] From our great friends in the United [03:11] States [03:12] a United States diplomat [03:15] extraordinaire, I should say, Mike [03:18] Huckabee [03:19] to the great Rabbi David Grossman, he [03:21] deserves that, too. [03:23] The words of praise might embarrass [03:26] lesser people, [03:28] but I know that for the Pastor and Diana [03:31] it's certainly something to be proud of. [03:34] Wherever I mention that I had to to [03:38] return to come back to be here for the [03:40] CUFI conference, [03:41] even the Prime Minister [03:43] spoke to me about it and smiled broadly [03:46] when he recalled [03:48] when I first spoke to him about Pastor [03:49] and Mrs. Hagee 20 years ago. [03:52] and he said to me [03:54] I'm going to be there also. [03:56] Even if it's virtually, he was [03:58] determined to be here. [04:03] >> [applause] [04:05] >> We meet at a moment when history is not [04:07] simply being written, it [clears throat] [04:09] is being tested. Every generation is [04:12] confronted with the binding choices and [04:14] ours is no exception. [04:16] The question before us is not merely [04:18] what we believe but whether we possess [04:20] the courage to defend those beliefs when [04:22] they are challenged. [04:24] Judeo-Christian tradition has been the [04:26] integral part and foundation of Western [04:29] civilization. It taught that every human [04:31] being is created in the image of God, [04:33] that justice must temper power, that [04:35] truth is not determined by popularity, [04:38] and freedom carries with it [04:39] responsibility. [04:41] These principles have shaped our [04:42] democracies, inspired movements for [04:44] human dignity, [04:46] and provided hope to countless [04:47] generations. [04:49] Today, however, we see these values face [04:52] unprecedented pressures. We see growing [04:55] polarization, increasing intolerance, [04:57] the erosion of civil discourse, and a [04:58] disturbing willingness to excuse hatred [05:01] when it serves political or ideological [05:04] ends. [05:05] The institutions that sustain democratic [05:07] process societies are only as strong as [05:09] the moral convictions of the people who [05:11] support them. [05:13] Amongst the clearest warning signs is [05:16] the resurgence of anti-Semitism. [05:19] Anti-Semitism has never been merely a [05:21] Jewish problem. History teaches us that [05:24] is often the first symptom of society [05:27] losing its moral bearings. The hatred [05:30] directed against Jews inevitably spreads [05:33] spreads, poisoning democratic [05:35] institutions, religious liberty, and [05:38] respect for the dignity of every human [05:40] being. [05:41] As the late Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks [05:43] said, it represents a broader assault on [05:46] the values that sustain free societies. [05:49] When lies replace truth, when prejudice [05:52] replace justice, and when violence [05:54] replace dialogue, every citizen becomes [05:57] vulnerable. [05:59] The horrific attacks of October 7th [06:01] reminded us that evil is not theoretical [06:03] nor distant. The massacre of innocent [06:06] civilians, the taking of hostages, the [06:08] deliberate targeting of families [06:10] confronted the world with barbarity that [06:12] many believed belonged to only in [06:14] history. [06:16] The response that followed, including [06:18] attempts in some quarters to justify or [06:21] minimize these atrocities, [06:23] showed how fragile the moral clarity of [06:26] our time has become. [06:28] That is why your, no, our voices are so [06:31] important. [06:33] Throughout history, Christians have [06:34] stood at pivotal moments. There were [06:36] times [06:38] when some remained silent. [06:40] There were also extraordinary men and [06:42] women whose faith compelled them to [06:43] protect the persecuted, to rescue the [06:45] vulnerable, and to uphold the sanctity [06:48] of every human life. [06:49] Their courage reminds us [06:52] that faith is measured [06:55] not only [06:57] by worship, [06:58] but by witness. [07:00] Today, [07:02] you and we [07:04] are called to become witnesses once [07:06] again. [07:08] That means speaking out against [07:10] anti-Semitism wherever it appears, [07:13] whether on a university campus, in our [07:14] communities, online, in places of [07:16] worship, or in public life. Silence [07:18] should never be mistaken for neutrality. [07:21] Silence too often emboldens those who [07:23] traffic in hatred. None of us can be [07:26] guilty of silence today. [07:30] >> [applause] [07:33] >> But opposing anti-Semitism is only the [07:35] beginning. [07:36] We must work together to strengthen the [07:38] moral foundations upon which free [07:40] societies depend. We must defend [07:43] religious liberty for all people of [07:45] faith. We must [07:47] reaffirm the sanctity of the family, [07:50] which is under assault. [07:52] The dignity of work, the value of honest [07:54] education, the importance of personal [07:55] responsibility, and the conviction that [07:58] truth exists independently of political [08:01] faction. [08:03] Christians and Jews do not need to agree [08:05] on every theological question to stand [08:09] together shoulder to shoulder in [08:11] defending these shared principles. [08:14] Indeed, our partnership has never been [08:17] more important for both, [08:20] for our aspirations, for our families, [08:24] for future generations. [08:26] Imagine what a renewed Jewish-Christian [08:28] alliance would accomplish and will [08:30] accomplish. Imagine thousands of [08:33] churches and synagogues forming lasting [08:34] partnerships, not only for dialogue, but [08:36] for action. Imagine Christians and [08:39] Jewish leaders jointly confronting [08:41] anti-Semitism, racism, religious [08:42] persecution, and every form of hatred [08:45] directed against innocent people [08:47] and against people of faith. [08:50] Imagine young Christians and young Jews [08:52] learning one another's histories, [08:53] visiting each other's communities, [08:55] building friendships, and refusing to [08:57] allow extremists to define our future. [09:01] Imagine scholars, educators, business [09:04] leaders, and public servants working [09:05] together to restore civility, strengthen [09:08] democratic institutions, defend freedom [09:10] of conscience. [09:12] This is not an unrealistic dream. It is [09:16] a practical necessity. [09:18] And for me, it is CUFI's agenda. [09:23] Such [09:24] >> [applause] [09:26] >> Such an alliance must be built upon [09:28] mutual respect, not seeking to erase our [09:31] differences, but recognizing that our [09:32] common commitments far outweigh the [09:34] forces that seek to divide us. [09:38] It must reject hatred without embracing [09:40] hatred in return. It must defend [09:43] democracy while insisting that democracy [09:45] cannot survive without moral [09:47] responsibility. [09:48] It must promote freedom while [09:50] remembering that freedom without virtue [09:52] ultimately becomes license. [09:54] The Hebrew prophet Micah asked what God [09:57] requires of us, to do justice, to love [10:00] mercy, and to walk humbly before our [10:03] God. [10:04] These words speak as powerfully today as [10:07] they did thousands of years ago. [10:10] The future will not be secured by [10:11] governments alone. [10:13] It will depend on the citizens who [10:15] refuse to surrender to cynicism. [10:18] Parents who teach values, teachers who [10:20] pursue truth, religious leaders who [10:22] preach courage instead of comfort, young [10:24] people who choose character over [10:25] popularity, communities willing to [10:27] defend one another when hatred appears. [10:31] This is our shared calling. [10:35] >> [applause] [10:40] >> The truth is [10:42] that anti-Semitism is about God hatred. [10:45] Cuz those who hate the Jews hate God. [10:51] >> [applause] [10:56] >> I've spoken about this subject at this [10:59] platform [11:00] for many, many years. [11:02] And I know people [11:04] in Jewish audiences and non-Jewish [11:06] audiences on TV and elsewhere [11:09] didn't see it or didn't want to see it. [11:12] Today it is an epidemic. [11:15] And while Jews are the first victims, we [11:17] know we are never the last. [11:19] Societies that tolerate anti-Semitism [11:21] ultimately [11:23] pay a heavy price. [snorts] [11:25] Hatred of Jews is the connective tissue [11:27] between the extremes of the left, the [11:29] extremes of the right in what is called [11:31] the horseshoe of hate. [11:34] Extremists going far enough [11:37] from one side of the other [11:39] meet at some point [11:41] and look ultimately like one another. [11:45] In the 1930s [11:47] Adolf Hitler [11:49] began his rise [11:52] with slogans [11:53] with economic boycotts [11:55] carefully crafted moral narratives. [11:58] Jews, he claimed, were corrupting the [11:59] stolen the nation, undermining peace and [12:01] justice. He used legal tools. He [12:03] mobilized the press. He built a [12:05] coalition around fear and fantasy. [12:09] And most people at first [12:11] thought it would fade. [12:13] It did not. [12:15] Hitler didn't invent anti-semitism [12:17] anti-semitism. [12:18] He legitimized it. [12:20] He gave it structure. [12:22] He mainstreamed it. [12:24] And by the time others came to recognize [12:27] the stakes [12:28] the machinery was already [12:30] running. [12:33] Today, we have people elected to office [12:37] and I will not mention their names [12:39] because I think that's what they want. [12:42] Shun them. [12:44] Boycott them. Don't mention their names [12:47] because that's exactly the kind of [12:49] publicity that builds them in this day [12:51] and age. So, Mayor [12:56] and [12:59] >> [applause] [13:01] [cheering] [13:03] >> He is not Hitler. [13:06] But look how similar the tactics are. [13:08] The same ideological fuel, scapegoating [13:11] Jews, targeting [13:13] their institutions [13:15] and those who support them. [13:20] This is how it always begins, slowly, [13:23] respectably [13:24] with applause. [13:27] The difference from 1945 is not that the [13:30] world has changed, that it's a more [13:32] caring place, and that there's less [13:34] indifference. [13:36] The difference from 1945 is that there's [13:38] a state of Israel with an army and an [13:40] air force and a navy willing to stand up [13:43] for defenseless Jews wherever they are. [13:46] >> [applause] [13:49] >> The sin of Israel [13:51] >> [applause] [13:52] >> is that Jews have the ability to defend [13:55] themselves today. [13:59] >> [applause] [14:00] >> And they will never forgive us for it. [14:03] But too bad. [14:09] The DSA [14:13] has 80 [14:14] thousand members, [14:16] 100 youth chapters. [14:19] They're spreading across the country. [14:22] We shouldn't exaggerate it, [14:24] but we dare not minimize it. [14:27] When mayors in Washington, D.C. and New [14:29] York City and God forbid in Los Angeles [14:33] and members of the Senate and of [14:34] Congress [14:35] and maybe members of state legislatures [14:38] coming with the agenda that they [14:40] represent should sound off alarms for [14:43] all of us. They don't say they're [14:45] anti-Semitic. They say we're against [14:47] settler colonialism. [14:50] None of them know what it means. Just as [14:52] they don't know where the river and the [14:54] sea is. [14:57] And many of them who complain about why [14:59] we're [15:00] bombing for the straits of Hormuz and [15:02] not for the gays of Hormuz. [15:09] If you think I'm joking, go online and [15:11] see the interview of college students [15:14] who said exactly that. [15:21] I give you each year a new term, and [15:23] this year [15:24] for those who hear the secular [15:27] term of the colonial settlers, [15:31] I think we should stop talking about the [15:33] occupied territories. [15:35] We should talk about the preoccupied [15:37] territories cuz the whole world doesn't [15:39] care about all the tragedies in the [15:41] world. They're so preoccupied with [15:42] what's happening in Judea and Samaria. [15:49] Do they ever open a Bible? [15:53] That's the deed. [15:55] That's the contract. It's inviolable. [15:58] Doesn't matter where. Doesn't matter [16:00] when. That's the contract. [16:03] >> [applause] [16:10] >> Do you know at the DSA confer- [16:11] conference that leadership conference [16:14] that recently was held, they adopted [16:16] amendments, four of them. [16:19] One on real democracy calling for the [16:21] replacement of the president and Supreme [16:22] Court with an executive and judiciary [16:25] chosen by and subordinate to Congress. [16:27] Another [16:28] on abolishing police and prisons. A [16:30] provision explicitly naming Jerusalem as [16:32] the capital of the Palestinian state. [16:35] And ranked choice voting sections. [16:39] Some of these passed unanimously. [16:44] They want [16:45] a new constitution, [16:47] but not one that will create a [16:48] democracy, but their version of a [16:50] socialist republic. [16:53] They want to build new society from the [16:54] ground up. You know how we know? Because [16:56] that's the language they use. [16:58] Is that the inheritance you want to [17:01] leave to your children and [17:02] grandchildren? Is that the America that [17:05] you want to give them in the year that [17:06] we celebrate 250 years of American [17:09] freedom and democracy? [17:11] Is that the legacy that we will live [17:14] leave? [17:16] Or we Or will we stand up to it? [17:19] >> Yes. [17:22] >> Do we want to see a Department of War [17:24] defended? [17:26] >> [applause] [17:26] >> Closing the overseas bases [17:29] and ending all economic sanctions [17:31] against those who want to destroy our [17:33] economy and our country? [17:37] No. [17:38] None of you want that. [17:40] But that's what will have [17:42] if we don't mobilize [17:44] each and every one of us [17:46] in every church, every synagogue, every [17:48] community, every county, every state [17:51] throughout the country and say, "No [17:54] more. It stops now." [17:58] >> [applause and cheering] [18:03] >> If you contribute to [18:06] or incite hatred, [18:08] you are an accomplice. [18:10] If you are silent or tolerate, [18:14] don't stand up against it, [18:16] you are complicit. [18:19] If you fail to cry out when 50,000 [18:21] Iranians were killed in January [18:24] or when Uyghurs in China or Christians [18:26] in Nigeria and others around the world [18:29] are persecuted, [18:31] then you are complicit. [18:37] If you do not challenge [18:40] the poisoning of our children in K-12 [18:43] schools across the United States, you [18:46] are an accomplice. [18:48] If you are not offended by the [18:50] modern-day blood libels promulgated by [18:53] our media, [18:55] then you are an accomplice. [18:57] If you didn't vote, [19:00] you are an accomplice. [19:05] >> [applause] [19:08] >> No more excuses. [19:10] No more. [19:12] Not for anyone. [19:14] You are on the side of faith, [19:16] commitment, justice, integrity, [19:19] or you are an accomplice [19:23] to the forces of evil [19:26] sweeping across our country. [19:28] We don't have time here, but you've [19:29] heard from speakers before me some of [19:32] the symptoms, some of the [19:33] manifestations, but it's only the tip of [19:35] the iceberg of what is really happening. [19:38] If you truly celebrate America of 250 [19:42] 250 years, [19:45] if you're [19:47] if you cherish American values [19:51] and the great civilization developed on [19:54] these shores, [19:56] if you revere our Christian Jewish [19:58] heritage [20:00] and all its moral messages, [20:04] guidance, and inspiration, [20:07] then you must stand up, speak up, act up [20:11] now. Not next year, not next month, now. [20:19] Or you will be an accomplice [20:22] >> [applause] [20:22] >> as our society, our world goes to hell [20:25] as we see emerging from coast to coast. [20:29] That cancer must be stopped. The time is [20:32] now, the place is here, the leaders are [20:34] present for us to do it. You have the [20:38] memory. [20:39] You have the means. You have the [20:41] motivation. [20:45] And if you reach into your souls [20:48] and your heart, [20:49] you will know [20:51] what you must do. [20:53] Each according to your ability. No one [20:56] can tell someone else what they have to [20:57] do. They have to feel it themselves. [21:01] But for us and for me, [21:03] no more crocodile tears for dead Jews. [21:06] I'm not interested in leaders doing [21:08] giving memorials and building statues to [21:11] Jews who have died when they refuse to [21:13] stand up for living Jews and a living [21:15] Jewish state. [21:17] >> [applause] [21:24] [applause] [21:25] >> We will not go silently anymore. [21:28] You and we have exemplary models of [21:31] leadership young and the old high school [21:32] to seniors right to left here. [21:36] Don't look around. [21:38] Look in the mirror [21:40] and you will see the best person [21:43] who can make a difference. [21:49] CUFI [21:52] >> [applause] [21:54] >> CUFI is the battering ram of freedom [21:57] against the hatred, against the [21:59] eradication of our faiths, [22:02] against the destruction of the [22:04] principles embodied by the founding [22:06] fathers, [22:08] enunciated by them [22:10] over and over again in the attempts to [22:12] destroy from within the great USA [22:17] that we have all experienced and that we [22:19] love. [22:20] We must stand against these forces now. [22:23] Each of us has to find a way. [22:26] Each of us must stand up reclaiming our [22:29] campuses from the radicalism and [22:31] extremists who have occupied it and who [22:34] dictated to change the administrations [22:36] to demand their honesty, their [22:38] integrity, that they stand up against [22:39] the haters in the classrooms and say no [22:42] more, our children will not be poisoned. [22:44] We will not allow it. [22:47] >> [applause] [22:49] >> We will engage the progressive debate [22:51] directly. [22:53] Their trajectory is not inevitable. [22:57] The beginning of the DSA was not as a [22:59] hate-filled organization but one that [23:00] supported Israel that really wanted to [23:02] see a democratic America. [23:05] But it was taken away. [23:08] We see what the consequences when people [23:10] didn't stop it when they could have. [23:15] The definition of words is very [23:18] important. When anti-Zionism is dressed [23:21] in the language of human rights, when [23:23] resistance becomes a euphemism, when [23:26] from the river to the sea is treated as [23:29] a protest rather than a call for the [23:31] elimination of the Jewish state, we have [23:34] to be standing up against it and telling [23:36] them, "We will not accept it." It's the [23:38] new anti-Semitism, but it's every bit as [23:41] virulent and dangerous as the old. [23:45] And most important, [23:47] we have to lead with pride. [23:50] We have to show that we have confidence [23:52] in our faiths. [23:54] We have confidence in who we are [23:57] and what we must do. [24:05] We are the symbols of hope. [24:08] The Judeo-Christian tradition [24:11] was the source of hope for mankind. [24:14] But it can't just be a wish. [24:17] The rise of the essay and the [24:19] radicalization of the campuses of our [24:21] culture, the mainstreaming of the [24:22] rhetoric in every form of media, in our [24:24] entertainment, on our televisions, on [24:26] our radios, and our newspapers must [24:28] motivate us, Jews and non-Jews alike, [24:31] who believe that a society where [24:33] scapegoating of any members is a society [24:35] in danger of losing its moral clarity. [24:39] That we will stand up against it and [24:41] speak up against it. [24:43] The alliance between Christians and Jews [24:46] should become one of the great moral [24:48] partnerships of the 21st century, [24:51] not simply because our communities face [24:53] common threats, but because together we [24:55] can offer a compelling vision of hope, [24:58] responsibility, and human dignity that [25:00] future generations say that when freedom [25:03] was tested, we defended it. When hatred [25:07] spread, we confronted it. When the [25:09] Jewish people stood under attack, [25:10] Christians stood beside them. Not out of [25:13] politics, but because conscience [25:15] demanded it. And when our civilization [25:18] needed moral leadership, people of faith [25:20] answered that call with courage, [25:22] humility, and unwavering conviction. [25:26] May God grant us the wisdom to recognize [25:29] this moment, the faith to meet it, the [25:32] courage to act before history asks why [25:34] we remain silent. [25:38] We all know the challenges. [25:42] And we know what our responsibility is. [25:47] We know [25:48] the dangers to our future and to future [25:50] generations. [25:52] Because they will ask you, [25:55] your grandchildren and their [25:56] grandchildren, [25:57] "What did you do? [25:59] You knew everything. You went to the [26:01] CUFI conference. You heard the world's [26:03] greatest experts warning you, telling [26:05] you, [26:06] it's not a myth. [26:08] It's not a prediction. It's a fact. [26:12] What did you do? [26:15] By being here, you already show that you [26:17] have an answer. [26:19] But it's each up to each of us to make [26:20] sure [26:22] that we will be able to have something [26:24] to tell them that will make them proud [26:28] and not embarrassed. [26:30] That we have worked to assure them a [26:32] safe and glorious future [26:34] in America 300, of 400, of 500, of [26:37] 1,000. [26:39] Every year I end my speech, for those [26:43] who who come frequently, [26:46] with a particular reference. [26:51] The story of the 10 agents, cuz in [26:53] Washington you don't say spies, [27:01] when two saw the reason when the others, [27:04] the 10, saw the reason to retreat, the [27:06] two saw reasons to advance. [27:08] While others became overwhelmed by fear, [27:10] they remained anchored in faith. [27:13] They understood that a shared mission is [27:15] stronger [27:16] than any obstacle. [27:18] Samson Raphael Hirsch teaches that [27:20] holiness is not achieved by escaping the [27:22] realities of life, but by elevating [27:25] them. [27:26] Judaism does not as ask us, like [27:29] Christianity, to withdraw from the [27:31] world. It asks us to engage, to build [27:34] within it, [27:35] to create hopes filled with Torah, with [27:38] kindness, with integrity, and with love. [27:43] It is the courage to face difficulty [27:45] with confidence and hope [27:47] that our religions demand of us. [27:50] Great achievements are not built by [27:51] people who deny challenges. They're [27:53] built by people who believe the [27:55] challenges can be overcome. [27:58] That is what motivated the two. [28:01] And I just ask you every year, [28:03] who can name the 10 who came back with a [28:06] negative report? [28:09] Who can name the two that came back with [28:11] a positive report? [28:13] Who? What is their name? [28:15] >> [applause] [28:17] [cheering] [28:18] >> Joshua and Caleb. Joshua and Caleb. And [28:21] that's the message that KUF represents. [28:24] You are the Joshuas and Calebs who will [28:26] stand up against popular culture, [28:28] against the naysayers, against the [28:30] haters, that you will stand for Israel, [28:32] for the Jewish people, for Christianity, [28:34] for our future, for our society, and for [28:36] America. [28:37] >> [cheering] [28:37] >> Now and forever. And for that, you will [28:40] be remembered. You will be written down [28:42] in history for standing up at this [28:45] critical time. God bless you all. [28:47] >> [cheering] [28:50] [applause]
