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I didn’t even know that there were still Jews left in Ethiopia, but what I encountered there firsthand was a thriving Jewish community, with some very significant struggles.

This is the transcript of the speech Rabbi Dr. Bradley Shavit Artson gave at the 2026 AJU Gala on May 19, 2026.

Throughout Israel’s history, in moments of crisis and uncertainty, the Jewish Diaspora has stood alongside the country through Israel Bonds.

Restaurants, gift shops, hotels and car rental companies have all been hit hard by the ongoing war. The blow to the economy is evident almost everywhere you go.

During his roughly 30-minute speech, he warned that Israel had become a “prisoner of its own tools” and that the American-Israel relationship, although historically strong, was “at a crossroads.”