Two giants of political conservatism, Douglas Murray and Ben Shapiro, starred at Jerusalem’s International Convention Center on Tuesday night before a sold-out crowd of more than 3,000 in what might best be described as a mutual admiration society, with the crowd applauding its pro-Israel champions as they in turn voiced esteem for Israelis’ grit and fighting spirit.

“Thank you on behalf of Western civilization for fighting the fight the rest of the West should be fighting,” Shapiro told the audience at the “Freedom of Zion” conference.

He asked those with loved ones who had served in the Israel Defense Forces in the past year to stand up. Nearly all did. “That’s unique. It’s something that doesn’t exist in the West anymore,” Shapiro said, describing it as a “civic militarism” once common in Western societies.

“There are people here … who … put their bodies on the line defending civilization. I am merely a writer,” said Murray. “If I give you any encouragement, you should know that the encouragement you give me is 1,000-fold.”

Early reports pointed to an enormously successful event. The Jerusalem Post on Monday said that Shapiro-Murray was the hottest ticket in town, with fans “scrambling for scalped seats,” likening it to a Taylor Swift concert.