Former President Barack Obama gave an address to a packed synagogue in New York City on Wednesday.
The former commander-in-chief gave a rousing speech in which he urged those in attendance at Temple Emanu-El on the Upper East Side to ‘be kind, be useful, be a little fearless.’
It was one of the few public appearances that the 44th president has made in the year since he officially left office.
News of Obama’s address to the synagogue was reported by PEOPLE.
Tickets for the event, which went on sale for $225 each in September, sold out within an hour.
Former President Barack Obama gave an address to a packed synagogue in New York City on Wednesday
The former commander-in-chief gave a rousing speech in which he urged those in attendance at Temple Emanu-El on the Upper East Side to ‘be kind, be useful, be a little fearless’
According to photographer Gili Getz, Obama spoke about a number of his former White House staffers who emailed him to say that their family members would be in the audience.
Obama also told the crowd that he would joke with his staff that he was ‘basically a liberal Jew.’
The ex-president also spoke about the current political climate, which he says is suffering from ‘truth decay’.
Obama defended his record on Israel and the Middle East.
It was one of the few public appearances that the 44th president has made in the year since he officially left office
Conservatives have accused Obama of pursuing anti-Israel policies during his time in the White House.
But Obama told the audience in the synagogue that his administration gave Israel more military aid than any other previous administration.
‘It is not a subject for dispute,’ Obama said.
The former president also defended his decision not to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement construction just before he left office last year.
Obama said he allowed the resolution to go forward because ‘the pace of [Israeli] settlement construction skyrocketed making it almost impossible to make any kind of Palestinian state.
The ex-president also spoke about the current political climate, which he says is suffering from ‘truth decay’. Obama also defended his record on Israel and the Middle East
‘Voting against the resolution would have damaged our credibility on affirming human rights only when it’s convenient not when it has to do with ourselves and our friends,’ Obama said.
The decision by the Obama administration was harshly criticized by Israel and its allies.
During his two terms in office, Obama failed to mediate a peace treaty that would end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
He warned that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip were ‘unsustainable,’ which prompted applause from the audience.
Obama said that domestic politics in this country makes it hard to speak truths about Israel.
‘To be a true friend of Israel it is important to be honest about it, and the politics of this country sometimes do not allow for it,’ Obama said.
Obama is seen above arriving at Temple Emanu-El on Wednesday night
His successor, President Donald Trump, has taken a much more aggressively pro-Israel stance.
Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and stated his intention to move the American embassy to the disputed holy city.
The move enraged the Palestinians, who have vowed to boycott any US-led peace effort.
In Davos on Thursday, Trump threatened to cancel American aid to the Palestinians unless they return to the negotiating table with Israel.