Israel Active

(Thanks to Michael Neifeld) I don’t usually post political articles, but this one by Professor Norman Bailey in Globes seemed particularly positive (for Israel) in the way it summarizes what has happened to the Middle East in the two and a half years since I started these newsletters.

Juan Manuel Santos Calderon, Israel's most loyal ally in Latin America, was received warmly in Jerusalem. He signed a free trade zone agreement between Israel and Colombia, an air services agreement and a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in matters of innovation.

Two of Memphis Tennessee’s most famous personalities - Elvis Presley and Martin Luther King - were pro-Israeli. But it is still amazing that a US state with only 9,000 Jews held its 6th annual Israel Festival that attracted 13,000 visitors.

I never thought it possible, but kibbutznik Menachem (Mendy) Neeman uses simple but very effective arguments to change how Israel’s opponents view the Jewish State. If you run an organization supporting Israel, please email an invite to him to teach you how to do this. [email protected] A million New Yorkers celebrate Israel. More than a million Americans came out Sunday to show support for Israel by attending New York City’s annual Celebrate Israel Parade. Hundreds of thousands of spectators lined the route of the parade along Fifth Avenue, drowning the street in a sea of blue and white.

They couldn’t match New York for numbers, but thousands of UK’s true Blue & White supporters young and old made themselves heard in London’s Trafalgar Square at the “Closer to Israel 65” event.

A poor report in the UK Guardian newspaper led to me finding some positive news about the Druze of the Golan. The Mayor of Majdal Shams, who says living in the State of Israel “is a privilege”. And Shefaa Abu Jabal - the first Syrian Druze woman resident of Israel to graduate from an Israeli university.

In the last three months, Gilad Shalit - former prisoner of Hamas terrorists – has been promoting Israel in Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand and South America. He has raised millions of dollars for the Jewish State, telling the story of his captivity and thanking people for not forgetting him.

Israel’s annual Book Week is currently taking place in 45 cities. Israel's annual survey of libraries reveals that the People of the Book increased the number of books borrowed by 25% in the last 4 years to 12.6 million books last year. Israeli Scouts are collecting, repairing and donating used books to organizations that help children in need and long-term hospitalized children.

Daniel Pipes writes that Israelis have plenty of reasons to smile. GDP, birth rate, natural gas, low terror rate, US support, cultural excellence and good diplomatic relations with 156 countries. “Israel’s enemies should give up and find some other country to torment”.

For just NIS 120 (about $33) you can present your Bat/Bar Mitzvah celebrant with the gift of a four-session Magen David Adom lifesaving course. Jewish girls aged 12 and boys aged 13 are obligated to keep the commandments – saving life being the most important.