Annual Jabotinsky Lecture Hosted At President’s Residence
On January 26, 2026, President Isaac Herzog hosted the annual lecture of the Jabotinsky Institute at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem. This year’s lecture was given by U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee. The event took place shortly after the announcement that the last hostage held in Gaza, Ran Gvili, had been returned home to Israel.
Attendees included Israel’s Minister of Heritage, Amichai Eliyahu; Ambassadors from Ukraine, Italy, Latvia, Finland, Poland, Norway, Estonia and Serbia. Additional VIP attendees included Gad Saad, actress from Law & Order Diane Neal, Melanie Shiraz, Miss Universe Israel 2025 and leaders of the Jabotinsky Institute including Zeev Jabotinsky's granddaughter Dr. Karni Rubin and his great-granddaughter - Tami Rubin, Adv. Lior Haimovich, Ms. Yardena Meller-Horovitz, Advocate Oren Magnezy, Entrepreneur/philanthopist Ronn Torossian and Nati Birenboim.
President Isaac Herzog said, “The joy of this moment is infinitely elevated by the news we have all been waiting for with bated breath. Finally, 834 days later, Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili, who ran at first call to the front lines to save others, has come home: home to his country, home to his family, home at last. For the first time since 2014, there is not a single Israeli citizen being held captive in the Gaza Strip. True healing for our nation can begin now. May Ran’s memory be a blessing.”
“Zeev Jabotinsky was among our greatest Zionists and it is fitting to host this event in his honor here in the President’s home.
U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee: “It is an extraordinary privilege to take this pin, to remove it from my lapel. I have said on many occasions, since I was posted here as ambassador, that the happiest day of my tenure was going to be the day when I could remove this pin, because it meant that the last hostage would have been freed and home with his family. And when reporters would say: What do you hope to accomplish as an ambassador?
I said: I don't know that it will be anything that I accomplish, but what I hope is that in the not distant future, I will remove this pin. I'm not going to keep it as a souvenir. There is nothing about it that is pleasant. It brings nothing of a memory that I want to cherish or to hold. I said, when I take it off, I will get rid of it. I will never see it again, and I will pray that never in the history of the nation of Israel will anyone ever wear a yellow ribbon on their clothing again, because I pray there will never be a moment when another Israeli family has to go through the agony of someone among them being taken hostage by evil people. Today, I remove it, and I will get rid of it.”
“I have learned that Zeev Jabotinsky has more to commemorate him in the State of Israel than any other figure. This is fitting for the contributions he and his vision have made to the great state of Israel,” added Huckabee.
Niva Von Weisel, Chairman of the Jabotinsky Institute said, “It is a profound honor to gather here, in the house of the Israeli people, to celebrate Jabotinsky’s Legacy —a founding father of the State of Israel and one of the greatest thinkers of modern Jewish history. The values he championed—Jewish pride, self-defense, free will, liberty, and an unwavering belief in a strong Jewish state—are no less vital today than they were a century ago.”
“At the Jabotinsky Institute we are committed to continuing to ensure the legacy and vision of Zeev Vladimir Jabotinsky are heard now more than ever before. The Jabotinsky Institute is safeguarding Jabotinsky's heritage for a secure future.”
The gathering ended with the singing of Shir Betar, the song of the Betar Movement.
Founded in 1937 the Jabotinsky Institute is dedicated to:
- Preserving the archives, writings, and historical legacy of Ze’ev Jabotinsky and the Revisionist movement
- Operating the Jabotinsky Museum in Tel Aviv, a cornerstone for researchers, students, IDF units, visiting delegations, and the general public
- Advancing scholarship on the Irgun (Etzel), Betar, and the pre-state underground movements
- Promoting Jabotinsky’s principles of Jewish strength, national pride, civil liberties, and Jewish sovereignty
- Engaging Israelis and Diaspora communities with historic and contemporary Zionist thought
The Institute serves as one of Israel’s most important intellectual and historical centers, safeguarding priceless archives and making them accessible to future generations. The Institute is currently undergoing renovations on its museum, located in the heart of Tel Aviv.
