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Israel’s consul general in New York, Ofir Akunis, cut through the noise this Hanukkah with a blunt, unapologetic message: Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people, period. His remarks—delivered during a season that celebrates light overcoming darkness—reminded Americans that the fight for truth and national survival is not abstract rhetoric but a living, urgent cause. No caveats, no moral equivalence, just the simple declaration of a people’s right to their historic homeland.
Akunis made those comments while meeting with hostages’ relatives and community leaders in New York, underscoring that his words were grounded in the grim realities of October 7 and the ongoing effort to bring Americans and Israelis home. He told audiences that Hanukkah’s message gives hope for a hostage deal and the eventual return of all captives, a promise that resonates with patriotic Americans who demand the safe return of innocents. The Consulate’s active diplomacy and public outreach have been relentless in keeping these human stories front and center.
Let’s be clear: standing with Israel is not a partisan pastime — it’s a moral imperative. When a diplomat like Akunis announces without apology that Israel is the Jewish homeland, it rebukes the cowardly elites who try to neuter history with soft language and shifting euphemisms. Conservatives should welcome that clarity; it’s the kind of conviction our country needs when too many in the media and on the left offer moral fog instead of principles.
New York’s civic leaders and law-enforcement officials have stood with Israel and Jewish communities, even as radical elements have tried to dominate public spaces with pro-terror demonstrations. Mayor Eric Adams and others have publicly rejected calls to surrender civic order, showing that when elected officials lead, communities breathe easier and Jewish life can flourish. Akunis’s presence in the city—openly supporting victims, families, and resilient neighborhoods—reminds patriots why local leadership matters in the face of lawlessness.
Anyone paying attention knows the threat: antisemitism is no longer a peripheral problem on campus or in certain neighborhoods, it’s a rising menace that targets children, families, and the very idea of free, safe worship. Conservatives must call out this hatred and the intellectual bankruptcy that pretends anti-Zionism is merely political critique; it’s often antisemitism dressed in academic robes. American policy and civic courage must corner and confront those who cheer for violence while calling it protest.
Akunis’s background as a seasoned Likud lawmaker turned consul-general gives weight to his words; he’s not a rhetorical lightweights but a seasoned defender of Israel’s sovereignty and security. That experience shows in his insistence on Israel’s rights and his refusal to equivocate when history is on the line, a posture conservatives should emulate in Washington and on college campuses. If our leaders have learned anything from the past few years, it’s that moral clarity and steadfast support are the surest shields against chaos.
This Hanukkah message—light prevailing over darkness—is not mere sentiment; it is a call to action for free nations. Washington must back words with deeds: sustain military aid, pressure for hostage releases, and never normalize delegitimization campaigns that threaten a democratic ally. Ofir Akunis reminded Americans that some truths are non-negotiable, and patriotic conservatives should take his words as a charge to keep America’s support for Israel unwavering and principled.
