Glenn Beck Chokes Up In Israel (VIDEO)

Glenn Beck choked up at his first "Restoring Courage" event in Caesarea, Israel on Sunday.

The conservative radio host was making his opening remarks at the event in a packed ampitheater and pacing the stage with a Bible in hand when he was overcome by emotion. His eyes welled up and he said, "I can't tell you how --" before his voice cracked.

He explained to attendees, "It's gonna be a cryfest tonight. My wife said 'Make sure you drink a lot of water, it's hot there.' I said, 'Are you kidding me? Drink a lot of water? I'm Glenn Beck, I'll dehydrate from the tears.'"

Beck -- who is no stranger to getting teary in the limelight -- later joked about his emotional tendencies, saying, "What has — I was going to say 'brought me to tears' but that's not a good expression because almost everything does."

The event, which Beck called "The Courage to Love," was the first of four associated with his Restoring Courage rally in Israel. A crowd of almost 3,000 was watching Beck live as he praised the Jewish people and expressed solidarity with Israel. He said to a standing ovation, "Let the Jewish people know, no matter what our governments may say, we are not our governments. We stand with you."

The Atlantic reported, though, that not everyone in Israel has welcomed Beck. Reporter Ben Hartman quoted both Arab and Jewish Israelis critical of his visit. One article, he said, described Beck as "a sort of hapless charlatan crying on cue and traipsing through the West Bank in an armored convoy suitable for a head of state."

Beck said that he hoped the week would be transformative for participants, many of whom paid a hefty price to attend the events in Israel. He advised them to keep a journal and clutching his chest, he said, "See if you have changed this week."

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