JNS
Patricia Heaton is honored as a "Champion of Israel" by the American Friends of Magen David Adom.
The world owes Israel “a debt of eternal gratitude” for leading the fight against Islamic extremism, American actress Patricia Heaton said on Wednesday, pressing ahead with her public backing for Israel at war.
Heaton spoke at a Miami gala where the American Friends of Israel's Magen David Adom rescue services honored the devout Catholic actress for her outspoken support for the Jewish state since last year’s Hamas massacre. Most of the American entertainment industry, including prominent Jews, has maintained silent neutrality on the conflict.
“The world owes an eternal debt of gratitude to Israel for being the tip of the spear in this fight and for the fearlessness and courage of their heroic sons and daughters who are heading into battle, often sacrificing their lives not only for Israel but for the whole world,” Heaton said. “I have grown so much from the example of the Israeli people and the Jewish people, who insist on living fully, insist on reaching across the aisle, and refuse to be bitter or hateful but always live in hope of peace."
Heaton, who is best known for her roles in television sitcoms “Everybody Loves Raymond” and "The Middle," had never been to Israel before last year’s Hamas attack.
She told JNS that she was “outraged” by both the Hamas bodycam images from Oct. 7, 2023, as well as the silence that followed in churches and among many in the entertainment industry, prompting her to become an outspoken advocate for Israel and to reach out to the Jewish community in Nashville, Tenn., where she lives.
Heaton made headlines with a recent initiative for non-Jews to show solidarity with Jews and Israel by hanging mezuzot on their doorposts, and will spearhead a Christian and Jewish women’s conference in Israel in May through the organization she set up for interfaith outreach, the October 7th Coalition.
In Miami on Wednesday, American actor Liev Schreiber presented Heaton with a Champion of Israel award. The gala also spotlighted medics from Israel’s frontlines including Adham Safadi, a resident of the Druze village of Majdal Shams on the Golan Heights whose daughter Finis was among the 12 children killed by a Hezbollah rocket in July while playing soccer.
Heaton said that Magen David Adom, with its multi-faith team of 3,000 employees and 32,000 volunteers across the country, exemplified the "spirit of generosity and heart of love” that she felt on her wartime solidarity trip to Israel.
“Organizations like Magen David Adom don’t care what your religion is what your ethnicity is: If you need help, you will get it, no questions asked,” she said. “To be honored by Magen David Adom, whose whole raison d'être is service of people in need and people in trauma ... is an honor to get us all back to a place where we can have peace for everybody.”
