Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu eulogised Joe Lieberman as one of the Jewish people's "most noble sons," speaking during a memorial service for the Connecticut senator at the Washington Hebrew Congregation synagogue in the American capital on Wednesday.
"It was important for me to be here today to express my deepest affection and respect for our beloved Joe Lieberman. I'm sure that, like all of you here, I miss Joe terribly," Netanyahu told attendees.
"He left an indelible mark on me, just as he did on everyone who had the good fortune to know him. Joe was exceptional in so many ways: He was unfaltering in his integrity, his decency, his loyalty. He was an exemplary leader who combined clear and forceful convictions with a pragmatic approach to solving problems and to solving conflict," the premier said.
He described Lieberman as "an American patriot, a proud Jew, who steadfastly stood with the Jewish people, especially during trying times.
"It is precisely during these trying times that I miss him even more," Netanyahu continued. "I valued his unflagging friendship, in good times and in bad. He was unwavering in defending Israel and expressed his support literally up until the end of his life—literally up 'till the end of his days."
Netanyahu noted that in the final hours of his life, Lieberman was working on the final draft of a pro-Israel statement that he had co-authored with US attorney and professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz.
"His last written words, I believe, were the following: 'We believe that Israel must be allowed to achieve its legitimate goal of disabling Hamas,'" the prime minister said, adding that Lieberman "understood what was at stake in this war was the survival of the Jewish state, and hence, the Jewish people."
The senator and 2000 Democratic Party vice-presidential nominee, who died in March aged 82, understood, "as few do," that the alliance between Israel and America is crucial for the future of both countries and that Jerusalem and Washington should stand together against "dangers that could threaten our common future," most notably Iran, Netanyahu said.
He concluded by addressing Lieberman's widow, saying, "Dear Hadassah, you and your family have lost a loving husband, father and grandfather. America has lost one of its finest public servants. The Jewish people have lost one of its most noble sons. Israel has lost one of its greatest champions, and I've lost a beloved friend and an irreplaceable comrade in arms. We shall always remember Joe."
The ceremony for Lieberman was attended by former Vice President Mike Pence and other senior lawmakers.
Netanyahu arrived in Washington on Monday, seeking to solidify bipartisan support following President Joe Biden's decision to drop out of the 2024 election and amid ongoing conflicts on Israel's borders.
Later on Wednesday, the longtime Israeli leader is scheduled to address a joint session of Congress, during which he intends to present a "new way" of dealing with the threat that Iran presents to Israel and America.
