Jewish tributes pour in for Charlie Kirk after fatal shooting

Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist who branded himself a defender of Israel and the Jewish people but at times faced accusations of antisemitism, has been shot dead at the age of 31.

The founder of Turning Point USA was killed on Wednesday while answering questions at Utah Valley University. Police say a lone gunman opened fire from a rooftop before fleeing. No arrests have yet been made.

Kirk, who began his organisation as a teenager and became a central figure of Donald Trump’s youth movement, had visited Israel several times and frequently positioned himself as a staunch ally of the Jewish state.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that he had spoken to Kirk just two weeks ago and invited him to Israel. “Sadly, that visit will not take place,” he said. Describing him as “a lion-hearted friend of the Jewish state,” Netanyahu added: “Kirk was murdered for speaking truth and defending freedom. He fought the lies and stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilisation. We lost an incredible human being. His boundless pride in America and his valiant belief in free speech will leave a lasting impact. Rest in peace.”

President Isaac Herzog said: “Israel has lost a true friend and a huge ally. I strongly condemn this terrible act of violence, and together with all the Israeli people, send my thoughts and prayers to Charlie’s wife, children, and all his loved ones.”

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana noted that while he had never met Kirk, he “enjoyed listening to his reasoned explanations, his clear thinking, and his ironclad arguments with which he fought for the entire free world.” National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Kirk “saw the danger and warned about it” in the “collusion between the global Left and radical Islam.”

Transportation Minister Miri Regev said he was murdered “only because the propaganda machine couldn’t handle him. Charlie was a true friend and one of Israel’s biggest supporters.” Education Minister Yoav Kisch linked the killing to “dangerous incitement taking place on US campuses,” while Energy Minister Eli Cohen said his “important voice will continue to resonate forever.” Benny Gantz described the shooting as “vile and despicable,” UN ambassador Danny Danon said Kirk “left an indelible mark on an entire generation,” and Culture Minister Miki Zohar condemned “vile cowards, incapable of confronting the truth.”

Jewish organisations in the United States also expressed grief. StandWithUs said it was “shocked and sickened by the murder of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley.” The Republican Jewish Coalition described him as “a shining light in these troubled times for the American Jewish community.” Morton Klein, president of the Zionist Organisation of America, highlighted Kirk’s personal connection with Israel: “Charlie Kirk was a great man, a personal friend and an ally who loved Israel and the Jewish people. I had the pleasure of walking all over Jerusalem with him and sitting for an incredible interview with him on his radio show where for over an hour, Charlie asked great questions to better understand the Arab-Islamist war against Israel, the Jewish people, and the West.

“When I asked him several weeks ago to speak at the Zionist Organisation of America’s national gala, he was thrilled and was excitedly looking forward to addressing our strong Zionist audience. Charlie was extremely smart, knowledgeable, well read, and an authoritative yet genuine voice who could speak on virtually every subject, capable of responding to those debating and critiquing him. Our thoughts and prayers are with Charlie’s family during this time.”

Kirk’s death comes after years in which he straddled admiration and criticism within Jewish communities. He spoke at the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem in 2018, declared himself “very pro-Israel” on visits to the country, and repeatedly condemned antisemitism. In August he posted: “Jew hate has no place in civil society. It rots the brain, reject it.”

Yet, he was also accused of indulging in antisemitic rhetoric. In October 2023, after Hamas’s 7 October massacre, he claimed Jewish philanthropy was “subsidising your own demise by supporting institutions that breed Anti-Semites.” He later remarked on his show that Jews controlled “the nonprofits, the movies, Hollywood, it’s all of it,” sparking condemnation from commentators across the spectrum.

The Anti-Defamation League accused him of giving a “vast platform for extremists and far-right conspiracy theorists” and promoting Christian nationalism. Kirk rejected those claims, insisting: “No non-Jewish person my age has a longer or clearer record of support for Israel, sympathy with the Jewish people, or opposition to antisemitism than I do.” In his final months he remained an ardent backer of Israel’s war in Gaza and warned of “rampant antisemitism” in the United States.

Kirk is survived by his wife, Erika, and their two young children.

US President Donald Trump called him “a martyr for truth and freedom” and ordered American flags flown at half-mast. For Jewish leaders, his death was summed up by Netanyahu’s words: “We lost an incredible human being.”