{"id":89580,"date":"2025-09-11T05:52:55","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T10:52:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/?p=89580"},"modified":"2025-09-11T05:52:55","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T10:52:55","slug":"after-charlie-kirk-is-fatally-shot-in-utah-jewish-and-israeli-leaders-call-for-prayers-and-end-to-political-violence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/after-charlie-kirk-is-fatally-shot-in-utah-jewish-and-israeli-leaders-call-for-prayers-and-end-to-political-violence\/","title":{"rendered":"After Charlie Kirk is fatally shot in Utah, Jewish and Israeli leaders call for prayers and end to political violence"},"content":{"rendered":"

By ASAF ELIA-SHALEV<\/p>\n

(JTA) \u2014 Israeli and pro-Israeli U.S. Jews were among those expressing concern after Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old conservative activist who founded Turning Point USA and emerged as a leading voice of the pro-Trump right, was shot Wednesday during an appearance in Utah.<\/p>\n

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Charlie Kirk debates with students in Cambridgeshire, England, May 19, 2025. (Nordin Catic\/Getty Images for The Cambridge Union)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Kirk was confirmed to have been killed about two hours after the shooting, which occurred around midday as Kirk launched into remarks for his \u201cAmerican Comeback\u201d campus tour at Utah Valley University in Orem. <\/p>\n

Video from the scene showed a single gunshot striking Kirk in the head or neck, causing panic among attendees. He was rushed to a nearby hospital. The FBI said it was assisting in the investigation.<\/p>\n

Prominent politicians from both political parties quickly condemned the violence. President Donald Trump, who has counted Kirk as one of his most loyal surrogates, called him \u201ca great guy\u201d and urged supporters to \u201cpray for Charlie.\u201d Utah Sen. Mike Lee and Gov. Spencer Cox also issued statements of support. California gov. Gavin Newsom posted on X:, \u201cThe attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible. In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form.\u201d<\/p>\n

Israeli leaders and Jewish activists, some of whom have developed relationships with Kirk through his pro-Israel activism, also reacted with alarm. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted on X: \u201cPraying for @charliekirk11.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amichai Chikli, Israel\u2019s minister of Diaspora affairs, wrote: \u201cPraying for Charlie.\u201d<\/p>\n

And Shabbos Kestenbaum, a right-wing American Jewish activist, urged his followers: \u201cPlease stop what you\u2019re doing and pray for our friend Charlie Kirk. Many in the Jewish community are reciting chapters from the Book of Psalms, and I ask you do the same. Something is deeply broken in America. The political violence must END. GOD HELP AMERICA.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kirk founded Turning Point USA in 2012 while still a teenager. The organization has grown into a powerful platform for conservative youth activism, hosting major conferences and expanding into high schools and churches. Kirk became a regular commentator on Fox News and other right-wing outlets, building a reputation as an outspoken critic of higher education, liberal policies and what he calls \u201cwoke culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kirk\u2019s Turning Point USA has maintained ties with pro-Israel organizations and regularly hosts pro-Israel speakers at its conferences. Kirk himself has traveled to Israel and praised Trump\u2019s policies there, including the 2018 U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem.<\/p>\n

This is a developing story.<\/p>\n

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