Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has announced Israel will honor the late Charlie Kirk later this month.
The announcement was made Wednesday evening. Kirk will be honored for his work combating antisemitism, per ABC News.
Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated on September while speaking at an Utah university.
Netanyahu’s office said Kirk will be given an award at the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism in Jerusalem. Several pro-Israeli leaders are expected to attend the event, including Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.
This will be the second time the Israeli government will host the conference, which it says is “dedicated to confronting antisemitism and Holocaust denial in today’s world.”
Kirk was a staunch supporter of Israel. After his assassination, Netanyahu described Kirk as a “lion-hearted friend” of the country and a “defender of our common Judeo-Christian civilization.”
Kirk would invoke scripture and prophecy to urge American Christians and conservatives to stand by the country.
However, some of his comments about Jewish philanthropy and Hollywood drew accusations of antisemitism.
As debates over Israel have emerged among American conservatives, Kirk’s legacy has become contested.
Last year, Kirk appeared on “The Megyn Kelly Show,” and said support for Israel had become so rigid that he felt unable to voice even mild criticism of its policies, per the outlet.
