from larry lowenthal, ajc area director of new england

2006-08-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE’S SOLIDARITY MISSION TO ISRAEL

JULY 17-20, 2006

Report by Larry Lowenthal, Area Director of the New England Region

At the outset of the war between Israel and her terrorist enemies in Gaza and Lebanon, David Harris, AJC National Director, decided that AJC would be the first American Jewish organization to visit beleaguered Israel on a Solidarity Mission. Within 72 hours, AJC’s Jerusalem Office arranged an extraordinary series of meetings with top government officials, military spokespeople, diplomats, academics, think tank founders, Israeli alumni of AJC programs, and ordinary Israeli citizens suffering under Hamas and Hezbollah rocket attacks.

Forty people—both AJC lay leaders and AJC staff—participated in the intense three day experience.

Because of the importance of each of these meetings, I wish to offer a detailed summary of the ideas and opinions expressed. A careful reading of this report will provide the reader with a comprehensive set of insights from Israeli "influentials" struggling for answers to a complex and fiercely disturbing national crisis.

KENNEDY AIRPORT, NEW YORK CITY
JULY 16, 2006 – 10:00AM

Quiet atmosphere at Gate B31, at El AL Airlines. I count only 9 people waiting at this point for an 11:00am flight to a turbulent Israel at war. Will this be an empty flight? Are people too afraid to go to Israel under siege?

Most of the travelers are religious, although 25 young people on a Birthright Mission join us at 10:45.

The TV screen in the airport waiting room is filled with recurrent images of bombings in Beirut and Haifa—blasted buildings, and collapsed bridges, weeping mothers holding frightened children, Israelis on stretchers, old people trembling as they are led gingerly into ambulances.

CNN coverage seems to be even handed: the camera switches back and forth between the Lebanese Prime Minister and Shimon Peres. I am delighted to see that Miri Eisen has been called back into service as a key Israeli government spokesperson. Incredibly wise choice.

About 60 people board the plane. Empty seats were evident in every section.

BEN GURION AIRPORT
JULY 17, 2006 – 5:00AM

I am astonished to see the new and glittering Israeli national airport, worthy finally of Israel’s first world status. I walk through endless corridors to get my baggage, reminiscent of the huge airports of infinitely larger cities.

I go to the Information Desk, and ask for the ground transportation exit. The young woman answers my questions and hands me a sticker—ISRAEL LOVES YOU! “Thank you for coming to Israel at this difficult time,” she says. “We deeply appreciate it.”

I am touched.

The same heartfelt sentiment was expressed by every Israeli we met, from the Foreign Minister to the average person waiting next to us at a bus stop.

JERUSALEM
JULY 17, 2006

I take a jet lagged nap at the David Citadel Hotel. My daughter, Jessica, 20, a summer student at Pardes Institute, meets me at the hotel. We walk out on to Jaffa Road. The sun is brilliant, hot and blinding. People are going about their daily lives. The cafes are crowded. We have lunch at Café Hillel, wander into the Old City, through the Jaffa Gate, and plunge into the Muslim Quarter. The Souk is quiet. Merchants sit disconsolately, and make only fitful attempts to cajole us into their shops. We wend our way into to the Jewish Quarter, browse in a bookshop, and grab a cab to Jabotinsky Street for dinner with friends from Brookline.

DAVID CITADEL HOTEL
TUESDAY, JULY 18, 2006

David Harris greets the participants in the Mission, and opens the official program. He proudly announces that AJC is the first Jewish organization in America to visit Israel since the outbreak of the war.

He somberly informs us that a suicide bomber was captured on Jaffa Road, not far from our hotel. The bomber was carrying 9 pounds of explosives on his body.

ERAN LERMAN
Director of the AJC office in Jerusalem

“Let me suggest the basic message to the world at large regarding this tragic upheaval:

“The sovereignty of Israel has been outrageously violated, and we must answer that challenge with powerful force!

“The Arabs misread us! Nashralla assumed that Israel-- a democratic, self critical society-- is a weak society. Jews, he has said, will lose for a very simple reason: they are in love with life, and we are in love with death. Jews want to live, and we look forward to death. Life lovers can not win against death lovers.

“But what Nashralla does not understand is that a democratic society knows how to unite in a crisis. Israel, like an egg, is soft and runny, until it is boiled. Israel is now boiling! The vehement defense of our sovereignty surprised the Arabs, who totally misunderstood our capacity for unified, national anger. Even the Left is supportive of the government’s policy.

“Israel is willing to move forward toward a two state solution within agreed upon lines. But when these lines are violated, we will fight fiercely until we transform the fundamental strategic situation. Under no circumstances will Israel allow the status quo ante, and that is the message we must convey to the world.”

YAKOV AMIDRON
Vice President of the Lander Institute of Higher Education

“If we fail to stop this wave of terrorist violence, we will see the end of moderate regimes in the Middle East. If Iran wins the war in Lebanon, it will doom America’s efforts in Iraq, and plunge the entire region into chaos. But if we win in Lebanon, we will strengthen the moderates, frustrate Iranian ambitions, and destroy Syria’s ongoing attempts to control the destiny of Lebanon.

“Lebanon is a weak democracy. If we can dismantle Hezbollah, Lebanon can develop into a strong democracy. But a democracy can not endure a state within a state, and right now, Hezbollah is ruling Lebanon rather than the Lebanese government or the Lebanese army. This clearly is an intolerable situation. A fractured democracy can not survive.

“We must convince the international community that they will benefit from the dismantling of Hezbollah, and that international intervention will ultimately be necessary if we hope to resolve this crisis. Defeat of Hezbollah benefits everyone: Israel gains security in the north; Lebanon gains democracy and a flourishing economy; and the world gains the leverage to control Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“The U.S should help Lebanon pressure the international community to intervene.

“What is Israel’s overall strategic objective? We must reduce Hezbollah’s capacity to launch rockets into our country; redeem our kidnapped soldiers; and force Lebanon to implement UN Resolution 1559.

“We have no intention of destroying Lebanon’s economy, but we have to attack Hezbollah wherever they are. We must isolate Lebanon so that Syria and Iran can not import deadly rockets that will kill our citizens, and for that reason, we must bomb the key points of entry—airport, seaport, bridges, and all major highways.

“We can not allow a cease fire until these fundamental objectives are obtained.

“We have to prove to the U.S. and to the international community that democracy in Lebanon is in their long term interest as well as ours. We simply can not achieve our goals without international intervention.

“But the international community will not intervene until we reduce the terrorist capacity for violence. We need another two weeks to pound Hezbollah and Hamas into submission. The only person in the world who can stop us is Bush.

“If, after two weeks, we find that our air force is not successful in destroying the Hezbollah launching sites, we will have no choice but to use ground forces. The fact is that we can not defeat terrorism without controlling the ground. We can not crush Hezbollah without being there, without collecting data and reacting to data. Personally, I believe that Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza was a big mistake. Hamas will take advantage of its access to Egypt to import rockets and heavy arms, and our absence from the ground will make it easy for them to do so. But I do not have the same criticism about out withdrawal from Lebanon, a much more complicated situation. We could not stop Hezbollah even when we were militarily entrenched in South Lebanon. We have a truly difficult challenge in Lebanon.

“But at this moment, the situation looks better than we might have expected. Nashrallah must be surprised: Israel is solidly behind the government, moderate Arab states have blamed Hezbollah for the war, and Europe has taken a quiet, non critical stance. How long this situation will continue remains to be seen.

“Of course, we are facing grave danger from our chief enemy—Iran. Iran has long range missiles that can reach Tel Aviv. Katyushas rockets are difficult to stop because they run below radar. Iran, however, realizes that it can go only so far before setting off catastrophic consequences, and I believe they will measure their decisions carefully. But they are a dangerous threat to the western world. We warned the U.S. about Iran’s nuclear capability back in 1995, but they did not act on our warning. Now Iran is much further along in the nuclear process, and far more difficult to stop.”

NIMROD BARKAN
Head of the Intelligence Department of the Foreign Ministry

“Israel still has a great deal of work to be done on the ground in this war. Hezbollah launching sites are exposed and vulnerable to our air force attacks, but Hezbollah is determined to continue fighting and determined to use our prisoners for leverage.

“We are having friendly talks with UN personnel, but they are not offering a reasonable deal for a cease fire. For example, they assert that militias in Lebanon should be disarmed, but they do not define Hezbollah as a militia. They are considering placing an international force in the area, but such UN forces have proven extremely ineffectual in the past.

“The G8 Resolutions are far more appealing than we anticipated. We have done a lot to inform the G8 nations, and they are now beginning to understand the extent and complexity of the overall conflict. They realize that this war is not simply a conflict between Israel and a bunch of maverick terrorists, but involves Iran, Syria, the Muslim Brotherhood, Khomeini Fundamentalism and Al – Queda itself.

“We are also refreshed and encouraged by the voices from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries, all of whom now realize that a weakened Hezbollah is a weakened Iran. They all fear Iran, especially Saudi Arabia, with a sizable Shiite minority.

“But no matter what happens in this current conflict, we know that Hezbollah will not simply evaporate. They have a lot of Shiite support, and they are ideologically fanatic. But if we can constrain them, repress their efforts, marginalize them, and reduce their armaments, we will have accomplished a great deal. But we have no naïve illusions about the difficulty of this challenge.

“Hezbollah has infiltrated the Lebanese army, along with supporters of the Lebanese president who is an advocate of Syrian interests in Lebanon. The Lebanese army is a hopelessly compromised institution, and, as it currently exists, can not be considered a viable instrument for gaining peace in the region.

“The key fact to keep in mind is that the Arab League, the EU, and many other countries in the region are deeply afraid of Iran, and wish to see its power contained. We have seen significant shifts in the political thinking of Europe and pragmatic Arab states. France, in particular, has a new perspective on the Middle East conflict, and can ultimately play a significant role when it comes to a final resolution.”

DAVID HARRIS
JULY 18, 2006

“I wish to point out the crucial role that the U.S. plays as Israel’s best friend in the world, and the crucial help that AJC and the organized Jewish community plays in sustaining that friendship. Many nations commit “about faces” based on perceived geo political interests. France is an obvious example: from 1948-1967, France was Israel’s best friend, strategically, militarily, and economically, but it all changed in 1967 when Charles De Gaulle turned on Israel because of its preemptive strike against her enemies.

“Recently, AJC has had great success in changing Peru from a critic to a supporter of Israel. We had developed a warm relationship with the President Toledano, and after many private meetings, during which he listened carefully to our points of view, he agreed to support Israel in the UN, rather than attack her.”

NETZARIM TENT CITY
JULY 18, 2006

On the way south to the embattled town of Sderot, near the Gaza border, we stopped at the hastily assembled tent city of Netzarim, a temporary haven for traumatized citizens of the northern area.

Located near a popular beach on the Mediterranean, the tent city was put together in 36 hours at the height of the crisis. Currently accommodating 1000 Israelis, with the average stay of 5 days, Netzarim provides a large network of diversionary activities for families and children—concerts, games, sports, cultural events, dances, movies and singing contests. Hundreds of teen age volunteers handle a myriad of activities for the residents, and provide calm role models for the younger kids.

Families live in long rows of tents, with sleeping bags lining the floor on both sides. Families are divided according to the extent of their religious observation. Mogen Adom David ambulances are assembled near the entrance of the camp in case of emergencies.

Walking through the camp, one has a graphic sense of the current crisis—Jews as refugees within their own country.

SDEROT
JULY 18, 2006

Sderot, a town of 23,000 people only 4 miles from the Gaza border, has been under Hamas rocket attacks since 2001.

Comprised of 50% Russians, 30% North Africans, and 10% from other countries, Sderot was founded in 1951, and has traditionally absorbed waves of immigrants from poorer countries of the Jewish Diaspora. The more recent influx of Russians has improved the economic status of the town, but it still has a “down at heels” look.

We meet with Mayor Eli Moyal in his office at City Hall, along with Shaul Mofaz, the former Head of the IDF, the former Minister of Defense, and the current Minister of Transportation. Minister Mofaz is in Sderot to inspect the damage to a home that had received a direct hit from a Quassam rocket. He is accompanied by a battery of TV cameras and newspaper reporters.

MAYOR ELI MOYAL
JULY 18, 2006

“Sderot has been under rocket attack for 5 years. People in the town are furious at the government for not protecting them during all this time, although they are relieved that action is now taking place. The Israeli government is finally declaring what has been evident to the people of Sderot for years: we are at war! We are in full support of the government at this time and we feel they are doing a good job.

“From 2001 to 2004, we had a lot of damage but no deaths. But in 2004, a 4 and a half year old child was killed and his mother was wounded as they walked to the kindergarten. Two months later, two Ethiopian children, aged 4 and a half and two, were killed, and 4 months later, a 17 year old girl was killed.

“Today, we are being hit with rockets morning, noon, and midnight. Twenty are falling on us each day. We hope the IDF and the government can resolve this terrible problem because we are horribly frustrated. This situation can not continue! It is outrageous. It is unbelievable how bad it is. We are surrounded by terror and we can not stand it. You do not negotiate with terrorists. They have to be attacked and destroyed. The question is—how long will it take?”

SHAUL MOFAZ
JULY 18, 2006

“In the last few years, Hamas has been able to build a large infrastructure in Gaza for the launching of Quassam rockets. We know that Hamas is also organizing terrorist activities around Jenin and Nablus, and we are watching the situation carefully.

“Hezbollah has a core of a few thousand activists, but they are backed up by hundreds of thousands of supporters. We are facing a very tough enemy.

“Israel is facing a major crisis, and we truly appreciate the support of American Jewry. Thank you for coming here at this difficult time”

ON THE STREETS OF SDEROT
JULY 18, 2006

We stand with Mayor Mayol in front of a large school building on a quiet street in the center of town.

“A year ago, at 7:20am in the morning, a Qassam rocket fell exactly on the spot where I am standing. A school bus parks at the same spot each morning. Five hundred children study at the school across the street. This is our worst nightmare.

“Quassam missiles are primitive bombs, made in private cellars, but they produce a huge blast and, of course, can be extremely deadly. Computers can tell when a missile is coming, and we normally have 12 seconds to get prepared. A booming voice, heard all over the town, announces the arrival of the bomb, and everyone scatters to safety. If no building is in sight, the best thing to do is simply lie down and hope for the best. The best thing to do is not to think about it!

“No one has left Sderot during this war crisis. We do not want to be perceived as running away.

Count on us! We will be strong!”

THE ISRAELI-GAZA BORDER
JULY 18, 2006

After leaving Sderot, the bus takes us to the Gaza border, a mere 4 miles from the center of town. We disembark at an Israeli military look out point and see, in the distance, the tall buildings of Gaza City, and, not too far away, the twin towers of the huge power station of Ashdod, now within ominous reach of an Iranian rocket.

Suddenly—puffs of smoke in the distance: Israeli artillery shells exploding in the Gaza town of Beit Hanoun. A startling, front line view of reality!

DINNER WITH ISRAELI AMBASSADORS AT BEIT MOSES
JULY 18, 2006

That evening, the group enjoys dinner at Beit Moses, the AJC Headquarters in Jerusalem, with recently appointed Israeli Ambassadors and Consuls General. Among the invited guests is Nadav Tamir, the incoming Consul General to New England. Nadav was a Wexner Fellow at Harvard, a friend of the Boston Chapter of AJC, and we warmly renew our acquaintance.

Other guests include the incoming Ambassadors to Italy, El Salvador, Slovakia, Mexico, Jordan, Qatar, and Kazakhstan.

ON THE ROAD TO HAIFA
JULY 19, 2006

11:05 Am. A police roadblock stalls all traffic on the major highway leading north to Haifa. Cars and buses are backed up for miles. News of a terrorist operation in the Haifa area demands a careful inspection of every vehicle on the road. Very few cars are allowed to proceed. The bus sits on the road for over an hour.

We hear of another attack in Haifa, with 5 wounded. No other information is released. Israel does not want Hezbollah to know how accurate their aim has been, and all information about attacks is strictly limited.

We later hear that a car bomber was in our area. Could that have been the reason for the road block? The car later blew up in Kfar Saba, but it is not clear if that was the same car that blocked our traffic.

Just past Zichron Yaakov, we see a crude landing strip alongside the highway, designed, we are told, for machine gun helicopter raids into Lebanon.

“We are in the battle zone,” Eran solemnly explains.

“If we hear a Katyusha rocket coming, we will have approximately 40 seconds to find shelter. Every one will immediately leave the bus, and seek the nearest building, preferably a marked bomb shelter. If we are caught in an open field, then fall to the ground and hug the earth. It will be your only hope.”

As we enter the quiet streets of embattled Haifa, we pass Maxim’s, a large restaurant facing the sea, the site of one of the worst suicide bomb attacks of the Intifada—25 dead, including entire families. Co-owned by Jews and Arabs, Maxim’s was reopened two weeks after the attack.

We pass a bombed out house that had been hit just a few hours ago.

Haifa is quiet. Streets are empty; stores are closed.

RAMBAM HOSPITAL: VISIT WITH WOUNDED VICTIMS OF ROCKET ATTACKS
JULY 19, 2006

Dr. Rafael Beyer, Director General of the Rambam Health Center Campus, greets us in the main auditorium.

“I am so happy to see you. You are brave people. Thank you for coming at this time. Your very presence here is extremely important to all of us in Israel.

“Rambam is the central hospital for all of northern Israel. I can assure you that Rambam is a safe place, although buildings are being hit close by. We are at war here, and rocket attacks are now a daily expectation, but our facility is well fortified. We are the backbone for the community that surrounds us. We have 1000 beds and 700 patients at this time, over 60 of whom arrived since the fighting broke out.”

Dr. Karl Skorecki, Head of Medical and Research Development, narrates a slide presentation of the Hospital.

“We are the central address for the 2 million people of the north of Israel, one third of the country’s population. Other hospitals feed their problematic patients to us because we are the only hospital in the entire area with full medical facilities.

“A house was bombed this morning, just 100 meters from where we are sitting now, and I will show you a slide of the damage. The Trauma team at Rambam Hospital is one of the best in the world. Tragically, we have a lot of experience in that area over the last 60 years.

“We have two major goals: full physical protection of the Hospital, and a $10 million expansion of our emergency services, now operating at only 1/3 of our needs.”

Suddenly—an air raid siren! People are told to rush into the safe areas of the hospital. While waiting for the all clear siren to sound, we are told that our trip further north has been cancelled. We were planning to visit the parents of Gilad Shalit, the 19 year old kidnapped Israeli corporal, now in the hands of Hamas extremists, but Shalit’s parents called and warned the AJC group that the visit would be too dangerous at this time.

After the “all clear” signal, we break up into 8 groups. We are handed gift bags to present to the wounded patients, and are led into the emergency wards.

Dr. Yaron Bar-Lavie, Director of Critical Care Medicine for the Hospital, guides us through Rambam’s Burn Unit, and displays the latest technology that has made his department world famous.

Outside the unit, we visit the bed of an 18 year old wounded soldier, deeply drugged and only semi conscious. Shrapnel had slashed his throat near the carotid artery. Another millimeter and he would have bled to death in seconds. He came into the Hospital on his own, his hand stemming the flow of blood from the wound. Dr. Yaron Bar-Lavie, the top Neuro Surgeon in the entire facility, performed the emergency operation. The boy will survive. “He was lucky, the doctor explains. “ And we were lucky.”

His bed is surrounded by his mother, his father, his grandfather and his sister. His mother is crying and wringing her hands. We explain to the boy that we are visitors from America and we are bringing him a gift. He stares at us vacantly, his head nodding listlessly, and falling back onto his pillow.

“He is heavily sedated, and probably can’t understand what you are saying,” the Doctor explains. “But he will live.”

Sirens wail again and everyone is instructed to go into the main cafeteria, the safest place in the building. Young people are handing out flyers: “We are at war. Are you afraid of the situation? Are your children and your family worried? Are you afraid that our security is not going well? Are you losing hope?

THEN CALL THE RELIGIOUS CONNECTION ASSOCIATION!

We are told to remain in the cafeteria until the all clear signal is given. Two hours pass. Members of the group under the age of 60 are allowed to give blood. We talk, drink coffee, eat snacks, and wander through the well stocked stores in the immediate vicinity.

We finally leave Rambam Hospital. As the bus pulls out of the parking area, we see lines of ambulances and dozens of stretchers quietly awaiting the next onrush of victims.

VISIT WITH YONA YAHAV, MAYOR OF HAIFA
JULY 19, 2006

Mayor Yahav, a big, gregarious and marvelously witty man, is a professional lawyer when he is not running the third largest city in Israel. We assemble in the main conference room in the city’s elegant City Hall. We look sadly at the photographs of dead victims of rocket attacks, posted on a large easel off to the side of the conference room.

Mayor Yahav’s first words to us: “If an air raid siren goes off, we must immediately rush to the main corridor outside this room. It is well fortified and you will be safe there.”

“When I served in the Knesset, I joined forces with Jossi Beilin to pressure Ehud Barak to with draw from South Lebanon. I am proud of that successful lobbying effort. I tell you this because I am now in full support of the government’s campaign to eliminate terrorism.

“Haifa has suffered 8 dead and 20 wounded as we speak. Our city is now under daily attack.

“Syrian rockets weigh 40 kilograms and are filled with thousands of small sharp pellets that scatter upon impact. The effect is horrifying. We knew the names of each of the 8 workers who were killed by a single rocket the other day as they worked to repair a damaged train, but it took three days to identify the bodies. They had literally been ripped to pieces.

“We have instructed our citizens not to go out of their homes unless it is necessary. These deadly pellets can not go through walls; they can only tear through human flesh.

“I know Ehud Olmert. You can trust him. His stubborn and tough and he means what he says. He will smash Hezbollah because there is no other alternative; there is no other way of dealing with vicious terrorists like them.

“I am proud of Haifa. Jerusalem may be the most beautiful city in the world, but Haifa is the most beautiful city in Israel. We have two major universities—The University of Haifa and the world famous Technion that recently produced two Nobel Prize winners. We have a flourishing high tech industry, and the world headquarters of the Ba’hai Faith.

“Even more important is that Haifa is the only place in all of Israel where full and friendly and equal relations between Arabs and Jews is a fact and not just a dream. Ten percent of our population is Arab—half Muslim and half Christian—and we have always gotten along extremely well, even during the dark days of 1947-8 when we struggled for independence.

“What is the secret of our intergroup success? (laughing): I suggest one major reason—we have no holy places here in Haifa. We are a secular city. We do not have a Temple Mount or a Western Wall or a Church of the Holy Sepulcher, for which people of faith are willing to die and kill.”

The Mayor brings in Nir Meri-Esch, the Commander of Haifa’s 500 person Police Department. Nir is well known to Boston because he and his wife were actively involved in the Jewish community during his year as an Israel Wexner Fellow at Harvard. We greet each other warmly after his remarks.

Nir begins to explain the police procedures, policies and daily practices.

Suddenly—an air raid siren! We immediately get up from our seats, and follow the Mayor and Nir into the fortified corridor not far from the conference room.

At the all clear signal, we calmly return to our seats and continue the briefing.

NIR MERI-ESCH

“Haifa has been hit with 40 rockets so far. Our police forces are well trained in combating terrorism, however, even though we have to admit the challenges are great.

“The two key factors in police success are the sharing of information and the close coordination between all the relevant forces—Shin Bet, Border Police, the IDF, and city police.

“Israel has a national police force. We are a small country and we do not have a distinction, as you do in America, between state police and municipal police. We are one organization. We have a total of 500 police officers in Haifa to handle a population of 300,000. Normally, Haifa is a safe city. We do not have much crime. But terrorism poses a serious threat.

“We are particularly concerned about the large petroleum refineries in Haifa, now within range of Hezbollah rockets. If the refineries were hit, we would suffer thousands of fatalities. It would be a national catastrophe. The government has not declared an emergency yet. That is a hard decision to make.”

We later hear that more rockets fell on Haifa after we left the Mayor’s office, but, according to the news, they landed on empty fields.

We leave the Mayor’s office and travel by bus to the top of the city. We disembark at the Dan Panorama Hotel where we meet Israeli alumni from AJC programs in Israel. We enjoy a lavish buffet dinner. Each Israeli alumnus speaks at the podium and describes the long term impact of the AJC American experience.

Suddenly – in the middle of dinner-we hear an air raid siren! We immediately follow the hotel staff down an endless winding stairway to the bottommost level of this elevated hotel. It feels like we are descending into the bowels of the earth. But when we finally reach the bottom of the building, we find gymnasium equipment, television sets, and a great variety of games. Israelis obviously prepare for prolonged stays in bomb shelters.

FINAL DAY IN ISRAEL
JULY 20, 2006

GIDEON MEIR
Deputy Director General for Public Information
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
New Ambassador to Italy

Gideon Meir is one of the top experts in Israel on Hasbara or Public Information. He had the inspired good sense to bring Miri Eisen back to public service as one the key spokespersons for the government during the current crisis.

“We have three major public relations campaigns going on at this time: 1) a campaign to convince the Israeli government that public diplomacy is a crucial factor in our fight against Hezbollah and Hamas. Right now, I am embarrassed to tell you, the government allocates only $8 and a half million dollars for the entire Public Relations budget 2) a public relations campaign for America, our closest and most powerful ally, and 3) a public relations campaign for the rest of the world.

“We have a just cause, and we will make no apologies in this crisis. We have been attacked by a terrorist group that has, in effect, hijacked the nation of Lebanon, and is totally responsible for this violent upheaval. We will hammer home that central message repeatedly. Many people outside of Israel do not realize that we have been under assault for 5 years, and yet we did not react with violence. We are not war mongers, nor was this attack on Lebanon premeditated of cynically plotted.

“Israeli public relations have to be designed differently for each country. What works for Americans may not work for the French or the British or the Germans. Europe has been more favorably disposed toward Israel since the Gaza withdrawal, but these countries are still problematic and we have to understand their unique cultural and national distinctions.

“When developing PR strategy, you have to think of the Message and the Messenger. We now are using Miri Eisen, Colette Avital and Shimon Peres to very good effect, I believe, but the simple fact of the PR business is that all the talking heads put together do not have the power of a single graphic image. Modern PR is image driven: pictures count, and the most eloquent explanation can not compete against the photo of a Lebanese child lying dead in the rubble. We have a major challenge.

“It is counter productive to put people in uniform on television. It does not work. Our current IDF Chief of Staff is quite articulate and persuasive, but we hesitate, nevertheless, to utilize him for hasbara.

“We can not control the news media. The BBC is a real problem, as is the Guardian, Britain’s most popular newspaper and one of our severest critics. The Internet is a huge problem! Young people get their news now from the Internet. Many of them do not read newspapers. Blogs are increasingly important as a source of news, and we are working on that area as well.

“As far as outreach to the Arab world, we have found AL JAZEERA to be extremely valuable. Despite their hostile attitude toward Israel, they give us the opportunity to deliver our message and conduct a dialogue with the Arab masses. We can go above the heads of the leaders and gain access to the person in the street. We now have a web site in Arabic.

“Quite frankly, however, our policy is to focus on the decision makers, rather than the masses. We simply do not have the time or money to encompass both.”

SHERATON MORIAH HOTEL IN TEL AVIV
JULY 20, 2006

ISAAC HERZOG
Minister of Tourism
Former Minister of Housing

The son of Chaim Herzog, former President of Israel, Isaac Herzog is a rising political figure, often seen on TV, and increasingly popular with the Israeli public. He is articulate, attractive, and personable.

“Let me begin by pointing out that 1900 shells fell on Israel last week. Over 1 million Israelis are in bomb shelters. Tourism and industry in the north has been shattered. While the world seems focused on the suffering of Lebanese and the Palestinians, we have to remind people that Israel is suffering as well. We did not start this war; it was forced upon us and we are responding in self defense.

“Our main objective is to uproot Hezbollah and change the situation on the ground. We will not allow a terrorist organization to operate at will on our northern border. Arabs have a growing perception that Israel is getting weak, and lacks the stamina for a long and grueling struggle. We must dispel that notion!

“Hezbollah has 13,000 rockets hidden in caves, houses and schools, and they are being launched into Israel from civilian sites. We are faced with a vicious, well organized enemy, and uprooting them will be complicated and extremely painful.

“We are bombing the Lebanese infrastructure—the airport, the seaport, the bridges and highways—because those are the entry points for Iranian made long distance Katyusha rockets which imperil our entire nation.

“Our second objective is to pressure Lebanon to implement UN Resolution 1559, passed in 2004, which calls for the disarming of Hezbollah and the expansion of the Lebanese Army into southern Lebanon.

“At this point in the crisis, we have a relatively strong support from the international community. But this support may not last. In our efforts to root our Hezbollah from their civilian base, we are unintentionally causing civilian casualties. Such tragedies are inevitable in war, especially when your enemy hides behind civilian populations.

“Israel did not want this war. We were all looking forward to a good year. As Minister of Tourism, I was anticipating a record breaking 2 and a half million tourists this year. Our hotels were 95% full. We are not suffering a collapse, by any means. There have been cancellations, but Christian groups are still coming, and the situation is quite stable outside of the north.

“But many businesses in the north borrowed a lot of money from banks in anticipation of a big tourist season. They are now in deep debt, but we have asked the banks to be flexible and we hope they will comply.

“I wish to conclude by saying to AJC—thank you for being here at this time. Your very presence is wonderfully supportive.”

URI LUBRANI
JULY 20, 2006
Coordinator of Policy on Lebanon and Iran

Uri Lubrani, now a vigorous 80, is an outspoken and forceful individual. He raised the discussion to the global level and reminded everyone that this war is only a segment of the larger war with radical Islam that America and the West will have to confront, sooner or later.

“What is taking place at this moment is the conflict between the West and Islamic extremism. Tehran is the master plotter behind all the events that have occurred over the last few weeks. Iran’s real target is not Israel, but America, the ‘GREAT SATAN,” and the entire culture she represents. Iran has trained, mentored, supplied, and strategized the operation of Hezbollah, with the connivance and logistical support of Syria. Most people do not realize this sinister connection between Lebanon, Syria and Iran, and until they do, they will not understand what is really happening here.

“The future of the Middle East and the Western World is at stake in this local and regional conflict.

“Despite his actions, Ahmadinejad is not a clown. He must be taken seriously. He hears the voice of his god whispering in his ear. He believes what he says, and his words will be backed up with military and nuclear power. America is on his list, and the American people must be warned of this danger.’

“Iran teaches its young people to hate the West, and to worship Jihad and martyrdom. Suicide bombers are ready, at a moment’s notice, to fulfill Iran’s demands. Lebanon is merely the first stop on road to universal conquest. Iran has, in effect, taken over Iraq. They pay Shiites to kill Sunnis, and vice versa, because chaos is exactly what they want. It fits into their cosmic game, their cosmic struggle. They do not care how many Lebanese die in this current war with Israel: the more pain and chaos, the better.

“Lebanon is now ruled by a dictatorship—Hezbollah. Hezbollah gunmen have been known to swagger along the streets of Beirut, threatening to kill any politician or journalist who dares speak against them.

“Israel is now paying the price for being on the front line in this global war to come, but the struggle has to be engaged. America has to understand that the present battle will ultimately become their battle. Israel now; America later.”

TSIPI LIVNI
Foreign Minister of Israel

We meet Foreign Minister Livni in the Tel Aviv office of the Ministry. The large conference room is filled with TV cameramen and reporters. David Harris and Shula Bahat sit next to Ms. Livni. Seated just behind the Foreign Minister is Hillel Newman, Policy Advisor to Ms. Livni, and former Deputy Consul in Boston. We greet each other warmly. I congratulate Hillel on his exciting diplomatic promotion.

“For the first time in Israel’s history, we seem to be at one with the international community. Even moderate Arab nations have blamed Hezbollah for starting this tragic and unnecessary war.

“Let me state the following points:

“Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon over 6 years ago, and has remained within her internationally sanctioned borders.

“Hezbollah’s attack was unprovoked and entirely unjustified and the international community agrees with this assertion.

“Hezbollah is the long arm of Iran. We can not separate Hezbollah from Iran. They are one and the same.

“Iran is a threat to the entire region and to the entire international community.

“International law allows a response to an overall threat and not simply an actual incident.

“We hold the Lebanese government responsible for the actions of Hezbollah because the attack came from Lebanese territory. One sovereign state has attacked another. Lebanon was ordered to implement UN Resolution 1559, and failed to do so. Instead, she tried to co opt Hezbollah into the government, and the consequence of this misguided choice can be seen today.

“But please understand that we are targeting Hezbollah and not Lebanon. We have no wish to destroy the government of Lebanon, nor do we wish to destroy the economy of Lebanon. Our enemy is Hezbollah, but Hezbollah is imbedded within the heart of civilian communities.

“Our goals have been made clear:

“We demand the release of our kidnapped soldiers.
We demand that Hezbollah be disarmed and removed from our northern border.
We demand the prevention of future rearmament of Hezbollah.

“These demands are reasonable, but will be hard to achieve, despite a wide consensus in Israel and within the international community. The Lebanese Army is weak, the UN forces have proven ineffectual in the past, and Israel does not want to get involved in a protracted war. There is no easy solution to the problem.

“But a cease fire at this time is out of the question. It would solve nothing and it would leave a dangerous vacuum. We will not allow the situation to remain as it is. A cease fire would not be in Israel’s interest nor would it be in the interest of Lebanon. Israel must be granted enough time to crush Hezbollah. Only then, would international intervention, either diplomatically or militarily, be possible. We do not know how much time we will need to finish this task. But our goals are clear, and can not compromise with them.

“As for the south and our struggle with Hamas, I can only say that the situation is even more complicated. The moderate Palestinian camp is very weak. In the long run, we hope to strengthen Abu Mazen, but we can not accomplish that difficult challenge alone. Frankly, I am not very optimistic about a positive outcome coming soon.

“Ironically, the Kadima Realignment Plan is stuck. We want to end the “Occupation,” but we can not do so until we feel secure, and we can not feel secure as long as we live side by side with a terrorist state bent on our destruction.

“We see now how much damage a non nuclear Iran can do. Imagine the threat to the world of a nuclear Iran!”

DR. AMIRA DOTAN
Knesset Member
Chairperson of Hasbara Committee
Formerly the highest ranking female officer in the IDF

A modest, gracious lady, Dr. Dotan was one of the few Israeli speakers who emphasized the need for more genuine cooperation between American Jewry and Israel.

“Israel needs a more innovative thinking. We need help from the Diaspora community. We are open to new and creative suggestions, and we look forward to your input. Israel is faced with a new catastrophe—a new and ferocious enemy, driven by a frightening ideological fanaticism—and we have to discover ways of dealing with it aside from tanks and planes and cannons. You, the American Jewish community, are part of the answer. We are all Jews together—we all have the same heart, the same brain, the same passionate commitment.

“At this moment, we are the ‘good guys.’ We have the approval of the international community, but we can not be certain how long it will last. We have to deal with constant threats of terror, as evidenced by the fortunate interception today in Nablus, and the general feeling in Israel is that we are at a critical juncture.

“But I am proud to see the current generation display such courage and strength. For a long time, I really felt that my generation was the strongest and the best, but I am happy to admit that I was wrong.

“It is sad to think how hopeful we were just a few weeks ago. We were all looking forward to a good year: the economy was strong, tourists were flocking back, and Israelis were looking forward, after 58 difficult years, to some peace and quiet and happy times. And then, all of a sudden, we are made aware, once again, that our neighbors seek our destruction. They feel we have no right to live, and they will do everything in their power to make that feeling come alive.

“You ask why Israel allocates only $ 8 and a half million to the Public Relations budget. That is a very good question, and even though I am Chair of the Knesset Committee on Hasbara, I do not have an adequate answer. I can assure you that I will fight for more money, but it is a puzzling issue. It could be that the IDF traditionally drains much of the creative brain power and the ‘out of the box’ thinking from the most talented young Israelis, leaving little for Hasbara. I hope the situation will change, but it is not an easy question to answer.”

DR. UZI ARAD
Head of the Institute for Policy and Strategy at the Interdisciplinary Center of Herzliya
Top Political Advisor to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu
Founder of the Herzliya Conference

Uzi Arad was the only speaker who clearly deviated from the norm, in that he expressed criticism of the government’s handling of the crisis.

“Wisdom is knowing what NOT to do! Wisdom is knowing your true priorities and learning to ignore what is not absolutely essential.

“Israel was psychologically unprepared for this full scale conflict. Democracies do not go lightly into war, nor should they. It seems that the government reacted to a flash point with an almost instantaneous, full scale military force. But the real question remains: was it necessary. Was it truly essential?

“What is the perceived strategic goal? Israel wants to pressure Lebanon to confront Hezbollah. But until that happens, Israel intends to cripple Hezbollah and create a buffer zone along our northern border.

“How logical are these goals?

“It is highly questionable that Israel will persuade Lebanon to use force against Hezbollah. There is no precedent that I know of to prove that Side A can force Side B to use force against Side C.

“And what if that goal fails? Where is Plan B? There is no Plan B! There is no political process to follow the military process. It would have made sense if Israel would pressure the UN to implement UN Resolution 1559. Currently, the political process is lagging dangerously behind the military process. We need international intervention, once the military option reaches its end.

“Is an international military force feasible? Unlike many of my colleagues, I do not rule out the possibility of an international peace keeping force. NATO perhaps could play that role.

“But here is my main point: Iran is the essential threat. Everything else is secondary to that challenge, but we have allowed ourselves to get diverted by secondary issues. We have taken our eye off the most important item on our agenda—and that is not wise.”

THE GROUP WRAP UP

David Harris summed up the most salient points of the trip for him:

1) “I am deeply impressed by the tenacity of the Israeli people, rising the challenge of a war that was forced on them.

2) “I am impressed by the Israeli’s capacity to go about their normal lives despite war tension in other parts of the country

3) “I am convinced that this conflict has wide regional and global dimensions.

4) “I am moved by Israel’s appreciation of America’s support and by visit to their country at this sad and dangerous time.

5) “I am proud to declare that America and American Jewry remain the most dependable friends of this feisty, vibrant, and indomitable country.”

THE MAJOR POINTS TO BRING HOME: GROUP CONSENSUS

1) Hezbollah started the war, and blame for all the suffering has to be placed on them.

2) Islamic extremism poses a grave threat no only to Israel but to the world.

3) IDF sensitivity to civilian safety is unprecedented in modern combat situations.

4) The people of Israel are unified behind the government’s bold confrontation with its most deadly enemies.

5) Moderate Arab countries have blamed Hezbollah for this tragic conflagration, along with the rest of the international community. Israel does not stand in moral isolation.

6) Israel’s enemies are Hezbollah and Hamas and not Lebanon. Israel has no intention of destroying Lebanon’s government or economy. Israel merely insists that Lebanon fulfill UN Resolution 1559, a demand that is in Lebanon’s best interest as well as the entire region’s.

ajcsolidarity2006.org

http://www.ajcsolidarity2006.org

from larry lowenthal, ajc area director of new england