Leo Terrell to Receive Israel’s Award of Honor; Tribute to Charlie Kirk to Be Bestowed on Pastor Rob McCoy

By: Fern Sidman

Jerusalem will once again become the moral and strategic epicenter of a global struggle as the Government of Israel prepares to bestow its highest annual honors for combating antisemitism on two figures whose lives and work symbolize principled resistance to one of history’s most enduring hatreds. At a special gala on Monday, January 26, at the Jerusalem International Convention Center (Binyanei HaUma), Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli will present Israel’s Award of Honor for the Fight Against Antisemitism to Senior Counsel Leo Terrell, Chair of the U.S. Department of Justice Task Force to Combat Antisemitism.

In a parallel and deeply symbolic gesture, a special Award of Honor in memory of the late Charlie Kirk will be presented to his personal pastor, Rob McCoy, recognizing Kirk’s enduring legacy as a fearless advocate for Israel and a prominent voice against antisemitism in public life. Together, the awards signal Israel’s determination not merely to commemorate resistance to antisemitism, but to actively cultivate a global coalition capable of confronting it in all its contemporary forms.

The gala will inaugurate the Second International Conference on Combating Antisemitism, titled “Generation of Truth,” an ambitious two-day gathering scheduled for January 26–27, 2026, ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Initiated by Minister Chikli, the conference is designed to move beyond statements of concern and toward coordinated action, bringing together senior Israeli leaders and dozens of international political, legal, and civic figures.

In recent years—and especially since October 7—antisemitism has surged across continents, mutating into new ideological forms while retaining its lethal core. Israel’s decision to anchor this conference in Jerusalem, and to pair it with the awarding of honors to international allies, underscores a central message: the fight against antisemitism is not a parochial Jewish concern but a frontline defense of democratic civilization itself.

Senior Counsel Leo Terrell’s selection for Israel’s Award of Honor reflects a recognition not only of his public stance, but of concrete institutional change. As Chair of the U.S. Department of Justice Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, Terrell has emerged as one of the most forceful and visible figures confronting the alarming rise of antisemitic incidents in the United States—particularly within higher education.

University campuses, once imagined as bastions of pluralism and free inquiry, have increasingly become flashpoints for antisemitic intimidation and exclusion. In this environment, Terrell has insisted on accountability, pressing academic institutions and their leadership to uphold their legal and moral responsibilities when Jewish students and faculty are targeted or marginalized.

“Senior Counsel Terrell’s leadership and moral clarity have produced tangible, on-the-ground impact and earned him broad recognition among Jewish communities, elected officials, and public figures in the United States and around the world,” Minister Chikli said ahead of the ceremony. “This award honors those who refuse to remain silent and who choose to stand with the Jewish people, with Israel, and with truth.”

Terrell’s work has been emblematic of the Trump administration’s broader posture since October 7: a firm, consistent stance against antisemitism and an unequivocal defense of Israel’s right to protect its citizens. By honoring Terrell, Israel is also affirming the principle that the fight against antisemitism requires not only moral condemnation but legal enforcement and institutional resolve.

The second award, presented in memory of Charlie Kirk, carries a different but equally powerful resonance. Kirk, a prominent public figure, was unwavering in his opposition to antisemitism and his support for the Jewish state. Through his leadership of Turning Point USA and his extensive public advocacy, he confronted antisemitic rhetoric wherever it appeared—on campuses, online, and in political discourse—and consistently challenged efforts to delegitimize Israel.

By awarding this honor to Pastor Rob McCoy, Kirk’s personal pastor, Israel emphasizes that the legacy of fighting antisemitism transcends individual lifetimes. McCoy’s receipt of the award symbolizes continuity: the passing of a moral torch from a leader whose voice resonated across generations to those committed to carrying that message forward.

The decision to frame the award as one of memory is deliberate. It situates the fight against antisemitism within a longer historical arc, reminding participants that progress is fragile and that vigilance must be renewed by each generation.

The awards ceremony is inseparable from the broader aims of the Generation of Truth conference itself. Structured around plenary sessions, panel discussions, and closed-door forums, the gathering seeks to develop practical tools and strengthen international cooperation against antisemitism’s evolving manifestations.

The conference will focus on three central and increasingly interconnected forms of contemporary antisemitism.

Violent Islamist antisemitism, which has fueled terror attacks and mass violence targeting Jews worldwide as well as progressive antisemitism, which often cloaks itself in the language of human rights while working to delegitimize Israel and exclude Jews from public and civic life. The conference will also address far-right antisemitism, which has intensified in recent years and gained renewed visibility and ideological legitimacy in certain political spaces.

By explicitly naming these categories, the conference rejects the false comfort of selective outrage. Antisemitism, the organizers insist, must be confronted wherever it appears, regardless of ideological origin.

The scope of participation reflects the conference’s ambition. Confirmed international attendees include Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania; Sebastian Kurz, former Chancellor of Austria; Scott Morrison, former Prime Minister of Australia; Mariano Cúneo Libarona, Argentina’s Minister of Justice; Flávio Bolsonaro, Brazilian senator and presidential candidate; and Eduardo Bolsonaro, a member of Brazil’s Congress.

They will be joined by senior representatives from Europe, Latin America, and North America, with participating countries spanning Albania, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Italy, Lithuania, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Such diversity is intentional. Antisemitism, Minister Chikli has argued, is not confined to any single region or political culture; it is a transnational ideology that exploits instability, grievance, and moral confusion.

Perhaps the most striking element of Israel’s message is its insistence that the global response to antisemitism must evolve. “Over the past year, antisemitism has crossed a red line, with Jews murdered around the world simply for being Jewish,” Chikli said. “This conference aims to build an international coalition that understands antisemitism is a murderous ideology threatening the entire free world. It is time to move from defense to offense.”

This framing marks a strategic shift. Rather than merely reacting to antisemitic incidents, the conference seeks to anticipate, disrupt, and delegitimize antisemitic movements before they metastasize into violence.

By combining high-profile awards with a forward-looking international conference, Israel is issuing a clear moral and political signal. The fight against antisemitism is not symbolic, not optional, and not abstract. It is urgent, global, and inseparable from the defense of democratic values.

Honoring Leo Terrell and commemorating the remarkable life and legacy of Charlie Kirk through Rob McCoy does more than recognize individual courage. It affirms a shared responsibility—a call to leaders, institutions, and citizens alike to reject silence and stand openly with truth.

As Jerusalem prepares to host the Generation of Truth, the message is unmistakable: remembrance must be paired with resolve, and honor must be translated into action. In a world where antisemitism has once again revealed its lethal potential, Israel is demanding not sympathy, but partnership—and it is doing so from the city that has witnessed both the depths of Jewish suffering and the resilience of Jewish survival.