Mike Pompeo to discuss U.S./Israel relations Thursday at Palm Beach Synagogue

Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is slated to discuss "The Future of U.S. Israel Relations" Thursday at Palm Beach Synagogue., the first talk in the new Critical Conversation Series the temple and The Paul E. Singer Foundation are co-sponsoring this season.

Pompeo, who was secretary of state under former President Donald Trump, and former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer will hold two "back-to-back conversations" with Eliana Johnson, editor in chief of the Washington Free Beacon, who will talk with Pompeo; and Dan Senor, co-author of the 2009 book "Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle,'' who will have a discussion with the ambassador.

Because of scheduling issues, Pompeo and Demers cannot be at the synagogue at the same time, so it was determined to break up the talk into two separate parts, said Senor. Interest has been so great in Thursday's program that the synagogue will offer a live feed in its social hall, which will accommodate about 250 people in addition to the 400 in the temple.

Thursday's program is the first in six monthly talks scheduled through May.

"We started it to bring the community together to have a public forum to discuss the most relevant issues of the day. We feel now more than ever that everyone needs to be engaged and proactive,'' said Rabbi Moshe Scheiner of Palm Beach Synagogue.

''Things are heating up in the United States in terms of antisemitism and general racism and other forms of hatred. With this rise, we felt we needed a grassroots response.''

That sentiment was echoed by Terry Kassel, a trustee of the series' co-sponsor.

"With anti-Semitism on the rise in our country, it's important to gather as a community to discuss today's most-pressing issues: the shared destiny of the United States and our ally Israel, challenges and opportunities for our American Jewish community, and how we might do more to secure both," she said in a prepared statement.

The series will resume on Jan. 18 with a discussion on "U.S.-China's Great Power Competition and its Implications for Israel." Matthew Pottinger, chairman of the China Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and Randall Schriver, chairman of the Project 2049 Institute and former assistant secretary of defense, will discuss the topic with moderator Aaron MacLean, senior fellow of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.

Other talks include:

• "Corporate Antisemitism: Is ESG [Environmental, Social and Governance] Fueling BDS" with Richard Goldberg, senior advisor of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, and Alyza Lewin, president of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights on Feb. 15. BDS or Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions is a Palestinian-led movement promoting boycotts, divestments and economic sanctions against Israel.

• "The Future of American Jewry" with Alana Newhouse, editor-in-chief of Tablet Magazine, and the magazine's editor at large Liel Leibovitz on March 15. Rabbi David Wolpe of Sinai Temple of Los Angeles will moderate.

• Scheiner and Rabbi Meir Soloveichik of Congregation Shearith Israel of New York, who also is a director at Yeshiva University, will discuss "The Case for God" on April 19.

• Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro will join Robert Greenway, president and executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Accords Peace Institute, on May 10 to discuss "Expanding the Abraham Accords." Jewish Insider's Washington correspondent Gabby Deutch, will moderate. The Abraham Accords are a series of joint normalization statements initially between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain.

Education is the key in the fight against antisemitism and hatred, said Scheiner. All of the programs deal with issues that the rabbi hopes will resonate with not just the Jewish community but with the general public.

''These are what we feel are the most important issues both in terms of challenges and opportunities facing the Jewish community and the most knowledgeable speakers.''

"We want to engage the entire community. ... We are at a time and place where every voice matters.''

There is no cost, but attendees must register. All talks will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the synagogue, 120 N. County Road. To register, visit palmbeachsynagogue.org or email office@palmbeachsynagogue.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to speak at Palm Beach Synagogue