Israel to posthumously honor Charlie Kirk for combatting antisemitism

Israel will posthumously honor Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk with an award recognizing his efforts to combat antisemitism. According to statements from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office to the Associated Press, the recognition is expected to take place at Israel’s International Conference on Combating Antisemitism in Jerusalem.

Prime Minister Netanyahu publicly praised Kirk on the day of his death, describing him as “a lion-hearted friend of Israel” who “fought the lies and stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilization.” Netanyahu called Kirk “an incredible human being,” adding that his pride in America and strong belief in free speech would leave a lasting legacy.

Less than a month before he was killed, Kirk addressed antisemitism directly in a post on X, writing, “Jew hate has no place in civil society. It rots the brain, reject it.”

Following Kirk’s death, Netanyahu again highlighted his influence, calling him “a giant” and “a once-in-a-century talent who defended freedom, defended America, and defended our common Judeo-Christian civilization.”

Kirk was assassinated in September at an event at Utah Valley University. Utah prosecutors have charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson in connection with Kirk’s killing. Robinson faces seven felony charges, and prosecutors have announced they plan to seek the death penalty. He is next scheduled to appear in court in May as pretrial proceedings continue.

In May, several months before his death, Kirk wrote Netanyahu a seven-page letter warning about what he described as rapidly growing “anti-Israel and anti-Semitic trends,” particularly on social media.

In the letter, Kirk cautioned that increasing hostility toward Israel could erode American public support. He emphasized that his criticism came “from a place of deep love for Israel and the Jewish people,” and urged Israeli leaders to take the issue seriously. “Israel is losing the information war and needs a ‘communications intervention,’” Kirk wrote, calling for a more aggressive strategy to counter misinformation and online hostility. Netanyahu later publicly confirmed that he had received the letter, referencing it after Kirk’s death as evidence of his deep engagement with issues affecting Israel and Jewish communities worldwide.