America’s UN Ambassador designate Samantha Power wept with “pain and emotion” while expounding on her views on Israel and the Middle East, according to Rabbi Shmuley Boteach.

In an article posted Thursday on The Huffington Post, Boteach -a self-professed supporter of Jewish settlements in the territories and a failed Republican candidate for Congress – stepped up his defense of Power by recounting the crying incident that took place in a closed 2011 meeting with 40 Jewish leaders held in the offices of Jewish philanthropist Michael Steinhardt.

“Typical of her erudition and brilliance, Samantha presented a sweeping view of American policy in the world’s most dangerous region. Then, she directly addressed the accusations that she harbored animus toward Israel. And in the presence of the leaders of our community, she suddenly became deeply emotional and struggled to complete her presentation as she expressed how deeply such accusations had affected her.

Tears streamed down her cheeks and I think it fair to say that there was no one in the room who wasn’t deeply moved by this incredible display of pain and emotion.

More than a few of the leaders of the room came over to me afterward and said that, based on her comments and her unabashed display of emotional attachment to the security of the Jewish people (it bears mentioning that Samantha’s husband is also Jewish), they would never again question her commitment to Israel’s security.”

Boteach says that he then took Power to meet with author Elie Wiesel “only to discover they already had a long friendship and that Professor Wiesel was a strong admirer of Samantha’s work. Boteach writes “I take my yarmulke off to President Barack Obama for one of the most impressive actions of his presidency, namely, the nomination of Samantha Power to the post of American Ambassador to the United Nations.”