Late former Sen. Joe Lieberman was a "great man, a great American, and a great Jew" who "put his patriotism before everything," Harvard Law Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz said about his friend and colleague, who died Wednesday at 82 from complications after a fall.
"We were working together on a statement regarding Israel, literally, at the moment of his death," Dershowitz told Newsmax's "Eric Bolling The Balance" on Wednesday. "This may be the last thing he ever wrote. This is an edited version of a statement about Israel with his handwritten delineation. He sent it to me, probably only a couple of hours before he fell."
Lieberman, a Democrat-turned-independent, was a person who "could merge together his Zionism, his love for Israel, and his love for America," Dershowitz said. "He'll be greatly missed."
Dershowitz also recalled working with Lieberman as far back as 2000 during the disputed election between George W. Bush and Al Gore, when Lieberman was Gore's running mate.
"I was one of the lawyers involved in that case on behalf of the voters of Palm Beach County," said Dershowitz.
He also remembered Lieberman as a friend, and the late senator's wife, Hadassah, as "one of the most wonderful women around."
"His mother and my mother once had a debate as to who was the better Jew in front of a group. It was a very funny [exchange] between two elder women, talking proudly about their two sons," said Dershowitz. "Joe's mother won the debate."
Dershowitz said Lieberman's death is a tragedy.
"He was healthy," Dershowitz said. "I saw him very recently. He looked like he was at the top of his game. Falling is one of the most dangerous things that an elderly person could have happen to them, and so I'm so sorry that it took his life."
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
- Find Newsmax channel in your home via cable and satellite systems – More Info Here
- Watch Newsmax+ on your home TV app or smartphone and watch it anywhere! Try it for FREE – See More Here: NewsmaxPlus.com