Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a powerful and emotionally charged address at the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Minister’s Conference in Jerusalem, where he firmly defended Israel and issued a stark warning about the global rise in antisemitism.
In his speech, Rubio did not mince words. “Antisemitism is the world’s oldest bigotry—and given that we’re all here today—it’s also the world’s most futile,” he declared. He pointed to history’s repeated yet failed attempts to eliminate the Jewish people, from ancient empires to Nazi Germany. “The pharaohs are gone. The Caesars are gone. Hitler is gone. But Israel lives. The Jewish people live,” Rubio said to resounding applause.
Referencing a recent tragic act of violence in Washington, D.C.—the murders of Yaron Lischinski and Sarah Milgrim outside the Capital Jewish Museum—Rubio recounted how the attacker shouted, “Free, free Palestine” during his arrest. He slammed the slogan as a modern-day rallying cry for hatred and violence, calling it “a battle cry for the death of Jews.”
Rubio used the moment to unveil a new policy initiative under President Trump’s leadership. The U.S. will now block entry to foreign nationals who promote antisemitism, echo Holocaust denial, or glorify terrorism against Jewish communities. He also committed to holding international organizations accountable for spreading anti-Israel rhetoric that incites violence, promising that the United States will no longer tolerate those who fan the flames of hatred while hiding behind the veil of diplomacy.
“There can be no coexistence with evil,” Rubio stated bluntly. “Evil must be defeated, not accommodated.”
He also reaffirmed America’s unwavering support for Israel, emphasizing the enduring strength of the Abraham Accords and the belief that peace in the Middle East can only be achieved through strength, moral clarity, and a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitism.
Rubio closed his address with a message of hope and resolve, saying, “Only by standing up to antisemitism with courage and conviction can we help build a future worthy of the victims of the past. And we will.”
The speech marked a defining moment for Rubio as Secretary of State and a clear signal that under President Trump, the United States is once again leading the charge in defending Israel, the Jewish people, and the values of Western civilization against the forces of hatred.