Israel's Friends in the Christian and Moslem Worlds —
Who Are They?
by Israel HighWay Staff

There's no doubt about it: Israel has enemies in the world. Just look at the countries surrounding Israel, the proposed UN resolutions, divestment campaigns and people calling for the dismantlement of the State of Israel.

What doesn’t make as much news and noise is the fact that Israel has many friends in the world.

Christian Supporters of Israel

Over 5,000 Christian pilgrims were in Israel participated in the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem annual Feast of Tabernacles during Succot. The pilgrims gathered to express their solidarity and love for the people and State of Israel.

For the past 27 years, the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem has sponsored this annual Christian celebration. The largest annual tourist event in Israel, the Feast this year was once again marked by inspirational musical performances and inspired pilgrims who traveled from more than 80 nations.

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IDF Kills One of Shalit's Kidnappers in Rafah by Yaakov Katz and Khaled Abu Toameh

One of the two Palestinians killed near Rafah on Wednesday as the army moved in force into southern Gaza was active in preparing and executing the abduction of Cpl. Gilad Shalit from the Kerem Shalom outpost on June 25. With Kassams still being fired at the western Negev and Hamas claiming to be building up an army, the IDF has set in motion preparations for a massive ground incursion into the Gaza Strip, one that senior officers in the Southern Command claim will be "larger than ever before." (Jerusalem Post)

Agency's 'Making the Grade' Lets Immigrant Children in Israel Stock Up on Office Depot School Supplies

More than 3,500 immigrant children in grades 1-12 are starting their first school year in Israel on the right foot thanks to the "Making the Grade" initiative of the Jewish Agency. The initiative provides them with debit cards worth hundreds of shekels so that they can choose and stock up on school bags and supplies from Office Depot.

Included among the recipients are nearly 700 Ethiopian immigrant children from Kiryat Gat who received the supplies courtesy of Chicago JUF's Kiryat Gat-Lachish-Shafir Partnership community. Money for the school supplies for Kiryat Gat students was raised through Israel Solidarity Day's Walk With Israel events. (Chicago Jewish Community Online)

Young Volunteers from around the World Provide First-Aid For Northern Israel

David Rajlevsky is amazed at how quickly Haifa's war-weary residents have returned to routine. The 18-year-old student from San Diego, CA is a first-aid responder in the Jewish Agency for Israel's Magen David Adom (MDA) Ambulance Volunteer Program. He chose to work in northern Israel as his personal contribution to the post-war rehabilitation effort.

"It's hard to believe that this was a war zone just over a month ago and that Hizballah missiles were falling all around the city," says Rajlevsky. He is one of 50 participants in a first-responders course within the framework of the MDA program. Over 500 young Diaspora volunteers have graduated the course and worked in Israeli ambulances over the past year. (Jewish Agency)

Kids' Fire Truck For Israel Campaign

With Central Massachusetts' young people leading the way, the "Kids' Fire Truck for Israel" Campaign is underway. Individuals and organizations in the Worcester-Westborough area have begun efforts to raise $100,000 to purchase a new fire truck for a "sister city" in Afula, located to Northern Israel.

According to Jeff Narod, of Northborough, co-chair of the "Fire Truck" campaign, "The campaign, which kicked off earlier in September, is a community-wide effort that includes a wide range of events and efforts on the part of a large number of Jewish and non-Jewish organizations and individuals."

The campaign, which is intended to culminate on October 31, received a major boost this past week when hundreds of cardboard fire truck collection boxes were handed out to area students. (Town Online)

Cyclists Ride to Raise Money for Children's Hospital in Israel
by Debbie Levison

With chains oiled, helmets shined, and backpacks at the ready, two Connecticut cyclists are hard in training: come Oct. 27, these guys will be in Israel, set to tackle the majestic but tough terrain in a week-long charity bike ride benefiting handicapped children in Israel. Larry Wilner and Eldad "Deddy" Yagen will participate in the seventh international ride to benefit Alyn Hospital, Israel's only comprehensive pediatric orthopedic and rehabilitation center at which over 5,000 physically handicapped children are treated annually. Kids who suffer from a host of congenital birth defects and diseases or have been injured by terrorism, accidents or fire occupy one of Alyn's 93 beds or are treated daily on an outpatient basis; they are Jews or Arabs or Christians; and while their needs may seem unlimited, funding for the center is not.

More than 425 riders from Israel, U.S. and Canada will ride, with each rider pledging a minimum of $2,000. (Jewish Ledger)

Students Take Up Israel Air Force Challenge by Ryan Nadel

The annual high school inventions competition took place in Jerusalem last week. Finalists gathered to present their projects to the panel of judges. The competition is held between member schools of the Excellence 2000 network, a group of schools in Israel and the United States that fosters the development of outstanding students in all aspects of academic and social life. Each year the students are charged with the task of solving a particular problem. This year, in conjunction with the Israel Air Force (IAF) and other organizations, the students were challenged with developing a system to keep birds out of the path of airplanes and away from farms. Of the 160 schools that are part of the Israeli Excellence 2000 network, 10 groups from different schools of grade 10 students were selected to vie for the top prize of NIS 28,000. (Jerusalem Post)

Israel Native Kramer Spends Junior Year in Bethesda by Leah Potkin

Stepping off a plane usually means reuniting with old friends, visiting family, or at the very least, seeing a familiar face. Not, however, for junior Shani Kramer, who, along with recognizing no familiar faces, lacks the comfort of her native language as well.

Kramer arrived from the port city of Haifa, Israel, as an exchange student to Whitman High School in Bethesda, Md. Sophomore Carlyn Rosenblum and her family will host Kramer while she attends Whitman. Kramer says she noticed surprising similarities between American high school life in films and high school life at Whitman. "Everybody told me it wouldn't be anything like the movies, but actually it is just like it. Only a very long movie. It's funny." (Black & White, Walt Whitman High School)

See Also: Israeli Students Give Glimpse into Conflict - by Christopher Rocchio

Imagine trying to live and learn while terrorist rockets are blasting your hometown. Yesterday, a group of high school exchange students from Haifa, Israel offered Boston freshmen a glimpse of their often tumultuous world. "Imagine waking up to the sound of an alarm early in the morning - you have 15 seconds to get to a shelter and you have to stay there for hours," said Omer Carmi, a junior at Ironi Hey High School. (Daily News Tribune)

Seeing Way Beyond the Tombstone by Hannah Pasternak

Many people see Israel as the place with falafel, snorkeling, the Kotel and kosher McDonald's. Over the summer I went on a journey to Israel called Kehillah - run by The Nesiya Institute. One of the things that made this summer incomparable was its inclination to dig emotionally. We had group meetings to refocus our group and fix its problems; we discussed topics such as "what is holiness and where can it be found?" and we sat in cemeteries and spoke about history's impact on the living.

One Thursday, slightly more than halfway through my summer we visited Mt. Herzl and saw Theodore Herzl's tomb.

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Hannah Pasternak is a junior at Ma'ayanot Yeshiva High School in Teaneck, NJ. She was in Israel this summer on The Nesiya Institute's Kehillah trip, which brings together Jews of all religious backgrounds from both Israel and the U.S. (Special to the Israel HighWay)

Tal Brody Returns to Basketball Home with Israeli Students
by Rick O'Brien

Much like Michael Jordan is adored in the United States years after his professional basketball career ended, Tal Brody enjoys fame in Israel. Last week, Brody could be found in St. Joseph's University's Alumni Fieldhouse, leading a group of teenage Israeli basketball players in another stop of an exhibition tour of Brody's homeland. Now a member of Maccabi-Tel Aviv's board of directors, Brody is acting as a goodwill ambassador for the team of teenagers from northern Israel touring the United States. Yesterday, in their third exhibition game, they played a team from the Philadelphia JCC Maccabi junior program, which prevailed, 64-56. The trip was organized by the American-Israeli Friendship League and was a present of sorts to the Israeli teenagers, whose lives were disrupted this summer while Israeli military troops fought with Hizballah guerillas. (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Israeli Kids Get Adam Sandler's Gifts

Hundreds of children in Israeli conflict zones received video games donated by Hollywood actor Adam Sandler. Foreign Ministry staff handed out some of the 400 Playstation consoles and games donated by Sandler at northern border towns that came under Hizballah rocket attack during Israel's recent Lebanon war. Children in Sderot, a southern town frequently targeted by Palestinian rocket crews in the Gaza Strip, are also to receive the gifts. (JTA)

Ramle Duo Achieves YouTube Cult Status by Sheera Claire Frankel

With a single three-minute dance video, two young Israeli women accomplished what the country's public relations officials have been after for decades - gaining an audience of 10 million adoring viewers. With the help of YouTube, a Web site that allows people to watch and share videos for free, Lital "Tasha" Mizel and Adi "Dishka" Frimmerman have made their lip-synching interpretation of rock group The Pixies "Hey" the fourth most popular video of all time. Click to view the clip (Jerusalem Post)

Coming in the wake of the war in Lebanon, the Feast constituted the largest solidarity mission to Israel this year. The pilgrims have infused as much as $18 million into Israel's economy, accounting for over 16,000 hotel room nights.

Malcolm Hedding, head of the Christian Embassy, explained what drives their support: "We share the same beliefs as the Jewish people. Our organization isn't involved in theories and speculations about the apocalypse. Our support of Israel is based on the promise that God made to Abraham 4,000 years ago. Israelis need to know that they have friends and that the ones who came this week are Israel's finest friends."

Many Christians see Israel's reestablishment and its flourishing in spiritual and religious terms. As students of the Bible, they subscribe to Isaac's blessing to Jacob, "All who curse you shall be cursed, and all who bless you shall be blessed." (Gen. 27:29)

The Christian Embassy in Jerusalem was established in 1980. Its main function is to enlist worldwide Christian support for Israel. The embassy has raised $40 million to help finance Jewish immigration to Israel, including 100,000 Jews from the former Soviet Union since the project began in 1989.

Last month the third annual Christian Government Leaders Luncheon hosted by the Knesset’s Christian Allies Caucus (KCAC) and sponsored by the "All Nations Convocation" took place. Fifty Christian politicians from Europe, South America, Asia and Africa gathered in Israel to meet with Israeli politicians in a show of support for Israel.

KCAC issued a statement saying "In light of Israel’s recent war against Hizballah, this international delegation of members of parliament, senators and ministers finds it especially important to support Israeli leadership in this forum. This event serves as an opportunity for Members of Knesset and Christian parliamentarians from around the world to break bread together, renew their spiritual ties and strengthen the common values and heritage that bind them together."

Political and Commercial Support, Too

The inauguration of the European Friends of Israel Organization took place last month. The organization will work to promote cooperation and friendship between Israel and the European Union.

Dimitri Dombret, director of EFI, said, "Our goal is to deepen and strengthen the relationship between the EU and Israel, both on a political and commercial level. In order to do this we will gather not only MEPs but also members of the national parliaments across Europe. We want to enlarge European support to Israel. The organization exists to improve Israel's image and help members if they need information about Israel. We will also network and organize missions of MEPs and national MPs and take them out to Israel."

The Star and the Crescent

Israel has Muslim friends as well. There is even an organization called Arabs for Israel that calls for Muslims to "Bring out the best in Islam by showing your compassion, gratitude and forgiveness. Make the holy land truly holy by giving Israel and the Jewish people the respect they deserve in their tiny little country. This is not a crisis over land. It is a crisis of the soul; a crisis in our faith, judgment and self confidence. Israel should not be regarded as an enemy, but as a blessing to our neighborhood. We need not fear peace, but embrace it."

In an interview in 2004, Prof. Khaleel Mohammed, Assistant Professor at the Department of Religious Studies at San Diego State University, explained his and many Muslims' viewpoint. "The idea that Israel does not belong to the Jews is a modern one, probably based on the Mideast rejection of European colonialism, but certainly not having anything to do with the Qur'an. The unfortunate fact is that most Muslims do NOT read the Qur’an and interpret it on the basis of its own words; rather they let imams and preachers do that for them." Professor Mohammed said that the Qu’ran actually states that Israel belongs to the Jewish People. In Chapter 5: 20-21, the Qu'ran bestows many blessing on the Jews including the Land of Israel.

On MSNBC recently, Ms. Nonie Darwish, whose own father was killed on raids against Israel, told an interviewer that blaming Israel for all the ills in Arab society is a mere distraction perpetrated by the ruling classes. Darwish said that moderate Arabs have to speak out against terrorism and extremism. The interview was conducted during the recent war in Lebanon.

Even spiritual leaders in the Muslim community have come out against Muslim hatred of Israel. Sheikh Prof. Abdul Hadi Palazzi, Director of the Cultural Institute of the Italian Islamic Community, said when asked about Israel's "right to exist."

"Affirming Israel's 'right to exist' is as unacceptable as denying that right, because even posing the question of whether or not the Children of Israel (Jews) - individually, collectively or nationally - have a 'right to exist' is unacceptable. Israel exists by Divine Right, confirmed in both the Bible and Qur'an," Sheikh Palazzi said.

Israel and the Jewish Diaspora have long considered themselves alone in the fight to defend Israel and to speak out on behalf of Israel. What now becomes clear is that they are not alone. There are voices in the Christian and Muslim communities that believe in Israel from a religious, cultural, moral and political standpoint. (The Israel HighWay)

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