National Memorial Service of Joseph I. Lieberman
Remarks by Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, CEO of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) 

Hadassah, Matt, Becca, Hany, Ethan, and the rest of Senator Lieberman’s family, it is privilege to be with you today as we honor the Senator.

Prime Minister Netanyahu, Vice President Gore, Senators, Member of Congress, members of the Biden administration and the courts, foreign diplomats, and ambassadors thank you for being here.

Many of the remembrances honoring Senator Lieberman’s life have highlighted his legacy as one of the great post-Cold War statesmen or the fact that he was the first Jewish American to be nominated by a major political party as vice president of the United States.

Senator Lieberman was never afraid to speak to what he believed or be the voice of opposition to any policy or action in which he disagreed. But in his principled advocacy on any issue, he expressed his advocacy or dissent with elegance, wisdom, and wit.

No major recent figure so plainly rejected the animus and bile that seems to consume modern American politics. He seemed immune from the piques of anger or outrage that flare up among even the best of the rest of us.

What all of us have in common is a profound and enduring respect for a giant in American polity. His vast career achievements are worth celebrating, to be sure. But what made the senator truly exceptional was his sheer humanity—his civility, grace, wisdom, love of family, and ability to convey his beliefs in a calm and respectful manner no matter the complexity of the issue at hand or the difficulty of the personalities involved.

Just look at the list of those who attended his funeral at the end of March in Stamford, Connecticut. Vice President Gore, various senators, scores of former staffers, a raft of onetime colleagues in Connecticut state politics, and Gov. Ned Lamont, his onetime political opponent.

What all of them have in common—besides fiercely opposing Senator Lieberman on one issue or another during his long career—is their profound and enduring respect for the man whose memory they were there to celebrate. They all spoke to that admiration and respect. And even in death, Senator Lieberman’s grace brings out the best of us, brings us together. Vice President Gore, thank you for being here and I never thought – as former political opponents – I would be so proud to have shared this stage with you. It is an honor.

I first got to know the senator as a political foe in the infamous Florida recount that determined the outcome of the 2000 U.S. presidential election. He was well-aware of my role as a bit player on behalf of then-Governor George W. Bush in election offices, television interviews, and courtrooms, and although he was known for his sense of humor, I always felt a bit sheepish whenever he occasionally teased me about my role in the recount. I remain a proud friend of President Bush (who shares all our sentiments for Senator Lieberman), but I was cognizant that the recount derailed my close friend’s historic bid for the second-highest office in the land and Vice President Gore’s bid for the presidency.

The last time Senator Lieberman joked with me about the recount, he sensed my discomfort, and he didn’t want to see his friend to feel uncomfortable. “You know Mark, don’t fret too much about this whole recount business,” he told me. “If we had won one more state there or there, the outcome of Florida wouldn’t have mattered one bit.”

Only upon his death did I learn that he had arranged for me to be a pallbearer at his funeral. I was so honored by the request and, while carrying out my duties, I was struck that the extraordinary generosity of his character persisted beyond his tragic and untimely death.

My friendship with the senator developed further when I had the privilege of working for his friend and colleague, Senator John McCain. McCain’s wit was second to none in politics, and his “borscht belt” jokes with Senator Lieberman, often at his colleague from Connecticut’s expense, were legion. McCain used to joke that it was now time to fully convert to Judaism, having gone through so many Jewish experiences with his friend. Senator Lieberman’s equally wry response was always to remind McCain that a bris was an essential element of Jewish conversion.

Senator McCain, like Senator Lieberman, was a great storyteller and capable of serious reflection. Before the vice-presidential selection process and the start of the Republican National Convention in 2008, I was with Senator McCain at his cabin in Sedona, doing my best to assist at his famous barbecue—or at least not get in the way. The conversation eventually turned to our mutual friend, Senator Lieberman and McCain stopped the stream of his political commentary and grew quiet. “Joe is good,” he said simply. “He is just good.”  The great John McCain saw in his friend a goodness that we all, including him, aspired to.  

Even when McCain passed over Senator Lieberman for the vice-presidential nomination in the heat of the campaign, the senator from Connecticut did not hesitate to assist Sarah Palin as she stepped onto the national stage. I will never forget the mock debate where Senator Lieberman played the part of then-Vice President Joe Biden while I played the late, great Gwen Ifill.

It was a particularly challenging moment in the campaign, with Palin facing the full brunt of media scrutiny. I saw first-hand the care, concern, and empathy with which Senator Lieberman embraced the governor and talked her through the context of that difficult time. In that moment, they weren’t a senator and a governor, nor even two vice presidential nominees. They were just two people talking, balanced by the Senator’s wisdom, experience, and serenity.

The selflessness and humility he displayed toward Governor Palin were typical of Senator Lieberman. In a world where success has a thousand authors, he stood out for his belief that service and good work were enough, and that credit was of little importance.

Prime Minister Netanyahu it is an honor to share this stage with you at this difficult time in Israel. You likely recall in 2018, Senator Lieberman and I convened a secret meeting—in our capacities as chairman and CEO of United Against Nuclear Iran, respectively—of Arab and Israeli intelligence chiefs and high-ranking members of the Trump administration, including Ambassador Bolton who is here today. 
This first-of-its-kind meeting focused on cooperation on security and stability in the region, and it led to additional discussions that ultimately culminated in the Abraham Accords.

That first meeting hosted by Senator Lieberman and UANI was never publicly disclosed. The senator was proud to play a role in helping normalize relations between Arabs and Jews, but he was adamant that those who coordinated the many subsequent meetings and agreements deserved the credit. In his mind, the work itself was rewarding enough—claiming public authorship was unnecessary.

And at the risk of treading on that sensibility, I mention this extraordinary and historic example of his devotion to service and repairing the world, because its significance was in part built on his unparalleled selflessness.

Despite Senator Lieberman’s insistence on being referred to as “Joe,” I couldn’t help but address him as “the senator.” He exemplified what it meant to be a great public servant, and that is how I will always remember him. Whenever I had the privilege of introducing him, I’d always conclude with an inside joke between us, identifying him as “the national treasure, Senator Joseph Lieberman.”

“Mark, you’ve gotta save that for my funeral,” he’d retort, always sparking some laughter from the audience. And if he were here to respond to the outpouring of kind words that have been heaped upon him following his passing, I’m sure he’d say something like, “Mark, couldn’t you have waited a little longer to use that line—like 10 years?!”  I’ve told that joke a few times now and as the Senator would say it gets better every time.
Ultimately, his family provided his bedrock. His wife, Hadassah, was truly his partner in caring, wisdom, kindness, and generosity. And his children were everything to him.

The senator and Hadassah were a team, and she was his essential person in all that they accomplished together. His love for her, his children, and his grandchildren knew no bounds.

He was a father figure to me, and I was so fortunate to have that relationship with him.  But that was his gift and certainly a burden for Hadassah and his children as they had to share him broadly. I am not alone in feeling that close relationship with him and his wisdom and warmth was bestowed on many.

And this was the man. This is a picture from Senator Lieberman’s high school yearbook. It says:

Hadassah, Matt, Becca, Hany, and Ethan, so many of us shared the Senator with you, today we are here for you. May the memory of our national treasure Senator Joesph Lieberman be a blessing. Am Yisrael Chai. The United States misses him. His family misses him. And so do I.