Trump’s Antisemitism Czar Mark Walker Meets with Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch and Attends Dirshu Event

Heat. Heat. [music] [music] Heat >> [music] [music] >> up here. [music] >> [music] >> wife. >> We we brought a guest honor to meet you. heard much about >> pleasure to be here and I honor her as well. >> Thank you for making time for me this evening. I appreciate that. >> This is a former congressman the ambassador designate to be the ambassador designate at large to combat anti-semitism around the world. >> That's that's that's the job. >> Yeah. >> Call the ambassador of that. >> Yes. The the actual title is ambassador large for international religious freedom. Uh, I did serve in Congress for six years. I was a minister, ordained minister for 16 years. My father was a is a minister at 80. He's still getting after it. Uh, I wanted no part of it. Didn't rebel, but no one I didn't want to be a minister, but God got a hold of my heart in my late 20s. I went back to school and was and was a minister for 16 years. And then I decided to >> which by Catholic Protestant >> it's it's Protestant Baptist uh in our in our in our culture uh would be the Baptist faith. So so yes so we were taught from a very early age uh as far as the respect for for uh Israel and Judaism culture. And so it's something that my dad as a minister instilled in myself and my two younger brothers was just telling uh Rabbi Hopstetner that uh that we grew up in a very strict background. No movies, no dance, no TV, no nothing. So uh no no secular music. So they wanted to make sure that we knew what the truth was. And so uh so yeah, we are we're honored and thanks Josh and Warren for being able to make connection here for us. We were just discussing earlier about the root causes of anti-semitism. What what's the the root cause of it? What's the source of it? And the uh Ambassador Desmond has very interesting opinions on it. So maybe maybe you'd like to share it with the rabbi. >> Sure. I you know I I often have thought in our culture let me speak to American culture that when you take God out of something you create a void because you you can't remove God without something being put back in back into it. And what has become the religion is the anti-semitic behavior uh the breakdown of the family. All those things from a radical perspective have become a new religion. That's why there's so much rage and anger and a and a rise in anti-semitism because you're being taught that on college campuses. You're being taught that the these moral values are man-made. They're not godmade. And I think that's where we are right now. This is much more spiritual than is political that I think we're facing in our generation. And so, and I I actually had a chance to serve as the ranking member for intelligence and counterterrorism on our homeland security committee. study these numbers uh in going back 10 to 12 years ago, you saw a rise in anti-semitic behavior where people came out of the shadows with it and now it's it's just the the spike is almost going completely vertical. Uh and it is a huge issue and I'm grateful that we have a president that's willing to call call it out by name. >> But you don't think that the the war was was a very very big cause? I thought I think the I think it was expose what was already laid there. >> I think latent anti-semitism was there all the time >> was there all the time. This this is like when you peel back the layering your lay layers you're seeing evil unadulterated evil for the first time and uh for years it kind of laid below the surface. Um there'd be some people but but now it almost became mainstream on college campuses. >> Yeah. So, we got to work on that. We got to do something about it. I'm I'm grateful President Trump called me and asked me to serve in this capacity. >> What What are the possible ways that possibly can do can do? >> Well, we want to call it out by name. I don't think that you uh so we'll have a team of about 30 people in the State Department. The way the law is written, I'm the principal adviser to the Secretary of State and to the President of the United States, which is obviously Marco Rubio and President Trump. So my job is to give direct information to visit these places whether it's a country for example like Pakistan that may have blasphemy laws or anti-conversion laws or what have you or if it's places like in Africa where they just come in and the Islamists come in and just kill people mow them down. My job is to, as I told Marco Rubio, to be the tip of the spear because I don't think I don't think when you're dealing with that level of evil, speaking it in uh nominal terminology is going to expose what needs to be done. You have to call it out by name. And you also have to encourage people who are whether clerics or imams that are connected in some version of that faith to be more bold in calling out what we're seeing uh with the majority of these attacks. >> It's even irrational, illogical. I mean the university campuses are teaching liberalism and it's so anti-liberal thinking. Well, how can you discriminate? So, you fight to the end against discrimination against certain groups and you're openly discriminating against a different group and >> perfectly articulated >> and and then the contradiction is is so blatant and how do they deal with that? How do they live with that? >> How can they keep their teaching? How can they continue teaching when it it's just such a blatant? seen some of the data. 97 98% of our instructors, professors, the scholarly have very leftleading radical positions. And sometimes you wonder why your 18year-old daughter goes to off to this university and by the time you get to the holidays, they've been completely radicalized. Uh that it's an intentionality to it. And that's and that's the issue that we've had and I think we're seeing it. That's why you're uh in our politics, that's why it's become uh uh so much more divided or friction is because if you go back 60 70 years ago, the difference between Republicans and Democrats. I mean, it was like arguing, okay, more government, less government. How much do you appropriate Republicans believe in less government? Democrats wanted more social programs, etc. But if you fast forward to where we are now, so much of our religious faith and beliefs are now part of the political process. So that's why um that's why this is spiritual in nature because no longer are policies just based uh on things that are only fiscal related because of the bringing in of the social issues the last 60 years. That's why you have to have conservatives in my opinion. and be a little partisan obviously to be able to push back against some of that massive radicalization that we've seen. >> But I think it's very important that [clears throat] you come here and you come on this trip and these type of trips because you're identifying with people who are learning the the Bible, learning the Torah, >> yes, >> who are faithful to the religion >> and you're sending a message. Here's why I don't have a problem identifying and visiting with you guys is because you live it out. You practice what you preach. And if there's anything that impacts young people more in a negative way, it's hearing your leaders say one thing but living in a different direction. And I'm grateful for two parents, godly parents who practice what they preach, who lived out what they talked about uh in the faith from the word of God. This is what this is how they live their life. When young people don't see that, you use the word hypocrisy, it has a negative or adverse effect on them, man. And and that's why I don't have a problem, you know, hanging out with you guys and say, "Look, these guys practice what they preach." Yeah. Not not afraid or ashamed of it either. So, yeah, very much. Well, thank you. >> You have a lot of safe success. >> Thank you. >> And you should have help from from from the Almighty to help you out. >> Thank you, Rabbi. I appreciate that. I'm honored that you would spend some time with me this evening. >> Yes. Yes. Stay strong. Stay strong. [snorts] >> All right, guys. Looking forward to seeing you in the morning. >> Look forward to it. want to give for everybody to come for coming and taking some time and sharing some of your experiences with the ambassador designate designate Mr. Mark Walker who has so graciously agreed to come on this visit and come and participate tonight. His mandate, God willing, bear hashem, his mandate will be to help try to fight anti-semitism around the world, around the entire world. And that's a uh a a something that's part of he'll be part of the the administration with the staff working directly under uh Mr. Mark Rubio and he came here to have a feel of what [snorts] Israel is like, what Torah learning is like, what the our community is like and how unique it is so that it will be mazakim strengthen him and give him the tools to embark on this great mission. It's a it's a mission that he has and we're very fortunate that the sham that God has given us to help help in this this great mission and I want to thank him again for being here with us and for you as well and maybe we'll be able to share some of the experiences and your experiences what you've encountered of with anti-semitism around the world and how one can deal with it and now we know of course that we have to keep do we have to keep praying and keep learning but in order to help help the ambassador dozen that to carry out his role so we'll start maybe this is uh from our our dish representative from Australia who happens to be a distant cousin okay >> which I only found out >> after he joined yours >> okay all right thank you for coming and I just want to say for what he does around the Raash Rabos does in in Australia where I'm flying back tonight. It's 18 hours away plus stopovers and taking some reading for the way. Um but I've got I run a a small group that we learned the Jewish law study every night with Du. We have about six seven guys in in the sh and there's many other shs and many other groups as well that doing the daily. We've done it now for almost finished our second cycle. So we've done it now 11 12 years and I helped started in Australia to bring up the numbers there and you know thank god we have I would say maybe 40 50 doing it regularly the that's just the there's a few gum as well the Talmud but it's made a revolution even on the other end of the world as we speak actually last week a shipment arrived of new um dur sets of swarim to Australia um which dur kindly donated after we had a devastating fire you probably heard about connecting with anti-semitism our sh the shul the synagogue where we pray every day about 10 months ago was burned down by by three arsonists which later on turns out to be sent by Iran that was paid for through third parties that's what it turned out to be after investigations but um I got to say in Australia the we grew up as you know I think there's maybe a misconception among a lot of non-Jews that the Jews are like they're so separate they're like completely different we don't don't think in Australia I know we're we could that's why I tell people and it's really like that we we're we're Australians or in America we're Americans we're fully American fully Australia as well as fully committed from Jews religious Jews and it's not a contradiction and and when they realize that they they they appreciate it but when as a growing up I grew I was born there I grew up there I never really felt maybe an egg thrown at me over the years like as a kid over 40 years I never really felt it more than the last year or two there's definitely been a certain shift not so much in area we don't feel it dayto-day my kids don't really see it daily but you know with the sh burning down and then the protests that go on we can't we have to avoid the CBD of Melbourne because these pro Palestinian protests going on all the time there's a lot of things that have changed the campuses universities that left this government there's a lot of things that are really affect you know affecting the status quo people are scared to wear a yarmaka out of the Jewish area so it it's definitely made an effect even though we still feel comfortable there although I feel more comfortable here safer here in >> just to clarify when the synagogue, I'm using the theuh English term for it. The synagogue was burned down. Is the community shocked? What was the reaction from the from the the uh it was in Melbourne, right? >> Was in Melbourne. You were there in that 7 years ago. You did you had a shared when I was in Melbourne. It burnt down. What was the reaction of the community? What was the reaction of the city itself or Australia, the broader uh country? I would say mostly shock and most of Australian even non-Jews and unaffiliated Jews and a lot of non-Jews came. I was there involved in the re, you know, sort of around the sh what was going on on the on the few days after and there was people coming from two hours away, non-Jews, with an envelope with $200 and it say I want to help rebuild this sh that was >> they did react and >> definitely reacted and with all anger and like how can this happen in our country? That was the main reaction for say 90%. Obviously you have the fringe that you know maybe >> and who were the perpetrators who burnt it down? There was >> they were they were the what they call the lowhanging fruits which the police dragged on because they were sent by other people who were sent by other people but they were just young 20 19 20 year olds but they two 3 months ago it turned out that they were hired by people who were paid for by Iran. That's what they say. So as I'm not involved in the investigation but that it it seems like it was actually a major they they had over 100 people on the case because they knew it was a major international you know the government did step in. They government pledged they're giving $30 million to rebuild the sh and and up up security all around other synagogues as well. This did a major it made a shake up and I think in a big way it made a shake up in the whole world. We got messages we had this campaign online. had messages from all around the world, Jews, non-Jews saying that this should not be happening in the western world and said about time we wake up that if we let all these protests happen and all this you just let it go and let it go and let it go eventually it seeps into the general public and it people allow these sort of things to happen and that's the part that people I think is >> there some of the comments that that you made earlier today about some of your observations in America that this should not be happening in America the types of things that are happening that >> they have to we have to stop those kind of things >> no doubt no doubt it and it takes intentionality to stop it. You don't just uh you don't deal with these issues um in an ambiguous way. You have to be willing to address the culprits and be able to call that out. Otherwise, you're not going to eradicate. Uh so yes, that's uh that's something that's very important. >> And from Manchester, >> Rabbi Schmil Halpen from Manchester, I'm here for the holidays. I'm going back tomorrow to Manchester. Um, I was already here before the Yamipo and we received this very shocking tragic news of a terrorist attack in synagogue in Manchester in the morning. This is approximately five buildings away from where my two of my kids go to school. It's a 10-minute walk from my house. The Jewish community and the Muslim community live right next to each other. Generally we try to get along. We definitely get along with them. But we have the English government who trying to be proper in everything they do as England tries to do. Lacking the morality and be able to stand up and say what's correct and what's incorrect. Everything gets covered nowadays with the rights of protest. People are walking around globalized inifada in Manchester. There have been signs like that all over which anybody who knows English knows that means kill the Jews. >> Sure. >> But for some odd reason in England, they don't know English and they think that's a right to say something. This attack which happened happens to be the person who lives right in the area of the terrorist. He even rents his apartment from a Jewish person. Something would never have expected to happen. And it's not it didn't come in isolation. It comes on the heels of Karmama saying that Palestine belongs to the Palestinians. It comes on the heels of people shouting out from cars at us as we walk down the streets. I'm a big person. I'm not scared. My kids walk down the street. Very often they'll get shouted out out the cars. Insulting things, degrading things, or even more than that, dangerous things against Jewish people. We have the Palestinian flags hanging everywhere we go in cars, in houses. I'm not even talking about on campuses. And there's a court case going on right now. They caught two people who bought trying to buy machine guns in order to do a mass massacre of Jewish people that were just looking for the target. And thank God they were found and they're standing trial now in Manchester. But these are the things which are coming which our sages tell us that if there's no government, one person eats up the other one. One person will eat up the other one alive. And we see this very strongly that whenever there's a strong government, things are okay. Because people are scared when there's things a weak government then all of a sudden all these other people come out of the fringes and they feel they can do whatever they want. We see it on the two sides of the spectrum right now. We see it in England with a weak, very [snorts] weak government response. It doesn't help if our prime minister and our king comes to visit the synagogue after we've been killed. We need them to step in before we get killed. The other hand, you have President Trump in America who's come up with such a strength. He's not scared to stand up. He says what he's right. He doesn't care what anybody else in the world thinks of him. >> Yes. >> And correct. So, I don't follow the news and football isn't one of my things, but there's a big um scandal going on now that uh Israelis aren't allowed to come to a football match in Birmingham, England, which is meant to happen in a couple of weeks time because they can't protect them. It's [snorts] the normal thing that England has become one of the third biggest city in England has become a no-go place for Jewish people. Anybody who wears a kipa is scared of getting killed. It sounds like one of those places where we ran away from after the Second World War. It needs a strong government to stand up, say what's right, and say what's wrong. And ignore all the fringe people out there who they know how to shout the loudest, but they're a minority. >> Take powerful. >> My name is Yehuda Razelle. Actually, I'm named after my greatgrandfather Yehuda Rosla from Holland. He was murdered together with his wife in death camp Sovivo. >> Wow. >> And um I'm named after him, Yehuda. And today is the yoight of my grandfather that was on was in Holland. was on the way on a train already to a death camp and he jumped out of the train, jumped out of the window and um thanks to that to the Seattle Disha I'm here in Israel. Uh the Nazis, they I have at my house a bunch of books, you know, they came, every place they came, they tried to burn the burn the the the books in order to to erase the Torah from the Jewish people. And uh what is doing this is the answer to their to that thing that we're sitting here today. thousands of people learning the Torah and continuing the Jewish nation because we know this is the um this is the this is our mission in the world and thanks to and to this great uh great um this great uh whatever um we have this uh continuation of the learning of the Torah of the Jewish people and will bazadm continue uh to do this. >> Okay. >> My name is David Blau from New York. I just want to want to say one word about DU. I think might be an answer for a little bitism. Du is not only I'm married already 22 years. I'm originally from New York and got married here. Always learned thank god very intensively. But since three years ago when I started Duo, I have to say it's not only I'm learning better. It's a whole different lifestyle. It's a big kishmu is you see a person who learns and he's a different person. He's able to give himself over and for other people much more. So that's if I may finish I feel like President Trump would have said this worldwide organization Duo makes the world great again. [clears throat and laughter] to everybody. Thank you very much to everybody. I I would like to take this opportunity to thank I don't want to put you on the spot. >> Sure. Cool. But now that you've seen some of the scholars over here, now that you've seen and got to meet some of them and you've been in Israel for a day or two, and what is your what would be your vision of Israel? And is your vision of Israel a land of productivity, of economic growth, but side by side with Torah scholars? Do you view that? And the Torah scholars as being an integral part of the country, a vital part of the country, uh a part of the country that defines defines our culture, defines who we are, and gives us moral direction, moral compass. And what's your impression of what you've seen? What's your view of the country? And what's your what would be your vision of of a country, the biblical country, a country that's not just a a successful um technoeconomic wonder, [clears throat] but also the holy land. >> Thank you, Rabbi Hoffsitter. It's an honor uh to be here. Uh I have um guess I've been in town uh for about 24 hours. It's not my first trip to Israel. Uh when I served in the United States Congress, uh we came here on times and met with different leaders to talk about security and other issues. Uh I would also have to mention um it is amazing what uh one man can accomplish who has a dream and a vision like you have uh to be able to uh encourage these men and and thousands and tens of thousands of others to make a commitment, a daily commitment as as uh the friend from Antworp was talking about uh to make the Torah not just something you go and do once a week or once a month. But uh but but you know, it's it's amazing if you look at uh a 24-hour time period, how God created the heavens and the earth. Um how uh his mercies are new each morning. There's something about that time frame. So the fact that you guys are committing each day to that is certainly uh impressive. Uh to the part of your question uh does a dear shoe uh does this commitment make uh your c Israel better, your country better? uh at 100% it does uh you you talked about the moral aspect of this, the morality uh obviously throughout the uh the Torah through the Old Testament um uh God lays out a very strong high level of morality and uh the fact that you guys are committed to uh not only doing it yourself but incorporating even your own family uh but that also I do think that u there's there's an aspect where America America can uh continue our partnership to make sure that that's not infringed upon. Um I was recently in London uh the UK which I have some concerns about uh even recent some of the things and um when a sweet elderly lady in her 80s came up and she told me she said uh America you must be the beacon of hope for religious liberty because you're the only country that has it written into your law to protect for religious liberty. So, we we want to continue that partnership and we're excited about being here and seeing where this goes and I look forward to keeping our commitment uh once we're through the Senate confirmation of returning, but also building on our relationship as well. >> I'm grateful that you would you allow me to join. >> Oh, it's my pleasure. Have you ever been here? >> My first time here, so I'm leaning on you to kind of give me some instructions. Well, this is of course a holy place for several religions. It's a place where, you know, we we all come to pour our hearts out in our tears and uh and that's what Jews all kind of walks do. You see, many of them here are not even strictly religious or many are not religious at all. >> Is it more from a traditional standpoint or >> some some aren't >> okay? And some it awakens them. You know, some come just to see it. It's a sight. But then there's awakening. I remember years ago when I was a young student learning studying in Israel. There was a tour. >> I think there's some country in Europe. I I think it was Sweden. I'm not sure. There's a tour and young people came to it and then one person turns to the other one and he he starts he's so upset. He said it's just a wall. It's just a wall. But you know people who have even aren't religious but people have religious leanings and are in touch with their inner soul for many of them it's an awakening. They come and and they're able to pour out their hearts and able to pray in a way that in in a way that they they wouldn't be able to do elsewhere. Have you ever been to a synagogue? Oh >> yes, I have one in Greensboro. Uh he's more of a progressive guy, but we've become friends over the years, so I participated in many of their services. >> So it's a great place [music] here to pray for >> the peace world peace. The peace note in the wall or something there as well. Pardon me. >> Do I write and put a note in the wall? >> You could you could if you would like to. Uh I don't >> because of the sanctity of the wall I I don't >> I will yield to you on that and and just pray here and things you can pray for the safety of your country your personal you know your family your friends the health and welfare >> and then the success of your mission >> okay >> and this is the most ideal place to to pray for the success of your important miss is >> all right I will do so >> I'll do this together with you. This is most common chapter on psalm that when we pray as a as a a nation we come together. This is the most common one that's that's said. >> So I'll I'll say it together with you. So this is the song of from my depths I call out to you God. I call out to you from the depths of my heart. God, I call out to please listen to my voice and your your ears should be attentive >> and the to the call of my beseeching you. If you are dwelling on my sins and if you preserve and hold on to my sins, God, no one can stand before you. Please forgive and forget my sins. >> Forgiveness is your exclusive domain that people should fear you and only fear you because you have the exclusive domain for forgiveness. I I I look to hope in hope to you and to God and I I waiting for your and anticipating and hope your answer to my prayers. My soul anticipates and wait for you. Waits for the morning and for the light and the shining of the new day. that the Israel is waits in anticipation and hope for God because with God exclusively is the kindness and the salvation and he will redeem Israel from all of their sins. That's our hope and pray and and you pray your personal prayer. >> You stand in front of it. Do you touch the wall at all? >> I don't. Okay. Others do and lean and cry in the wall. So, >> you have your >> You should, you know, pray in your personal prayers. >> I'm going to pray here. Hope that's not offensive. I just didn't want to pose. >> No, not offensive at all. I think it's very uh commendable and it's says a lot about you. It's a real personal pleasure to be able to be in the company of this person that has genuine respect for faith and religion >> and and uh like we uh there was a kindred spirit there from from the very very first engagement. >> Absolutely. Absolutely. >> And uh you know in this world that we live in >> don't take that for granted. No, the uh there's a lot of nominal Christianity even among our politics and it's almost like you check the box if you're Christian run as a Republican. But as far as living it out sometimes I think we fall short. >> The whole world does. >> Yeah, the whole world does. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. N. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Mother [chant] I [singing] am shing. [music] [singing] [music] >> [singing] >> might [music] say. [music] >> [music] >> Hallelujah. Amen. [music and singing] [music] [singing] Yeah. [music] You [singing] [music] might be [music] [singing]