All season long we’ve been honoring Israel’s 60th birthday with diverse and provocative programming. On March 5, esteemed French philosopher and writer Bernard-Henri Lévy spoke about Israel, Jewish Values and the New Global Anti-Semitism before a sold-out audience at the 92nd Street Y for the Annual Francine and Abdallah Simon State of World Jewry Lecture. In the video excerpt above, he discusses one of the flawed arguments against the legitimacy of the State of Israel.

Read coverage of the night on The New Republic, New York Observer, Mediabistro’s Galleycat and from bloggers Phoebe Maltz and Lauren Cerand.

After the jump, browse pictures from the private reception held for Mr. Lévy (abbreviated below as BHL for simplicity’s sake) after the talk which included actress Isabella Rossellini, former publisher of The New Republic Marty Peretz and foreign dignitaries among many others.

BHL with Abdallah and Francine Simon

Isabella Rossellini and friend

Amanda Miller (Huffington Post), Robin Sanders (CBS News), Anya Strzemien (Huffington Post)

Pascale Takvorian (Aria Limousine), Caroline Weber (French professor at Barnard), Marie-Monique Steckel (French Alliance President)

BHL and Kate Taylor (New York Sun)

BHL and Ilan Safit, Editor-in-Chief of Yedioth America

Deborah Solomon (New York Times) and BHL

Mike Katz (VP of bn.com) and BHL

Consul General of France Mr. François Delattre, Jean-Christian Agid and friend

Paul Berman and Marty Peretz

Kirsten Powers and John Finley of Fox News

Ariel Beery (PresenTense) and Ambassador Saúl Weisleder, Deputy Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the UN
(Background: blogger Rex Sorgatz and comic artist Eli Valley)

BHL and former NYC Parks Commissioner Henry J. Stern (New York Civic)

BHL, Rabbi Eliyahu Stern (Park East Synagogue) and Steven I. Weiss (middle)

Standing room only for BHL

All Photos, Credit: Joyce Culver for the 92nd Street Y

[Jewish Life Programs at the 92nd Street Y]