AIPAC Policy Conference draws huge crowds The 2013 AIPAC Policy Conference was held in Washington, D.C., on March 3-5. Over 13,000 people from all walks of life attended, including 30 delegates from the Lehigh Valley.
SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
Above, left to right: Gabrielle Korn, Laura Bortnick, Dalit Agronin, Michele Freesman, Gil Schpero, Stephanie Fishbein, Sara Benowitz and Nicole Berger. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) recognized the pro-Israel activism of Gil Schpero, assistant director of Muhlenberg College Hillel, at the AIPAC Campus Awards Dinner held during its annual Policy Conference in Washington.
10:30 a.m. | JCC of Allentown ROSE BAYER
Lafayette College
ZACHARY CAHN & SARA GREEN
Lehigh University
BECCA DIAMOND
Muhlenberg College
SARA KASKOWITZ
Moravian College
RSVP to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley at 610-821-5500 by Friday, April 5.
Yom Hazikaron Ceremony ISRAEL MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVANCE
Reinforcing US-Israel bond By Ezra Goldstein Penn State University - Altoona There is a bond between Israel and America that cannot be broken, speakers at this year's AIPAC Policy Conference made clear. U.S. support of Israel is important, they said, specifically for the Iron Dome missile defense program, the urgency of a peaceful solution between the Israelis and Palestinians and the threat of a nuclear Iran. The first of the three issues was unanimously affirmed by congressional speakers, but it was the latter of the three that was met with grave warnings. It seems that our nation, specifically our Congress, is growing more and more aware of the increasing threat that Iran poses, not only to Israel, but to the whole of nations. The conference’s sessions brought up a slew of additional issues as well as innovations regarding Israel. They examined the threat of a nuclear Iran, the American media and Israel, how the Israeli economy came to be, a highlight of technological
innovations coming out of Israel, and much more. One of the most notable sessions was the presentation of a small group of Israelis’ plans to make it to the final frontier. SpaceIL is an Israeli non-profit organization participating in the Google Lunar X-Prize; a global competition to land an unmanned craft on the moon. The first team to do so wins $20 million, which SpaceIL plans to contribute to science education in Israel. Another session that attracted a lot of attention was dedicated to the explanation of the rapidly growing Israeli economy. The panelists discussed what makes the Israeli economy so powerful, and even answered questions after their presentations. Several notable officials of foreign countries and members of our own Congress had the opportunity to speak to the eager crowd during the conferences’ many plenary sessions. Most notable was Sen. Robert Menendez’s passionate speech regarding the historic legitimacy of the Jewish state and the right of Israel to defend itself. It was a great conference that drove home the call for a strong U.S.-Israel bond.
Shaping tomorrow, together By Monica Friess and Amy Morse Special to HAKOL
iurfzv ouh Yom Hazikaron Sunday, April 14, 2013 7:30 p.m. JCC of Allentown
Commemorate as a community in solidarity with Israel
10 APRIL 2013 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
At this year's AIPAC conference, we had some time before our first lecture to enjoy a nosh at an area in the convention center known as The AIPAC Village. Here attendees can dine, chat with other delegates and learn about Israeli innovations. Others joined our table and, while introducing ourselves, we learned that we were all of varying political leanings. Our disparate group soon began talking and bonding over our common focus: the importance of Israel in our lives and a continued strong U.S.-Israeli partnership. Our lunchtime assembly reflected the policy conference as a whole in uniting people of diverse backgrounds and political affiliations who share aspirations for an unwavering alliance between the U.S. and Israel. AIPAC is a bipartisan public affairs committee. It's not a “PAC,” which is a political action com-
mittee organized for the purpose of raising money to elect candidates. AIPAC does not endorse or make financial contributions to any candidate. AIPAC makes no judgments about any party or any politician. Rather, AIPAC's mission is simply to educate each and every congressman about how a strong American-Israeli alliance benefits both countries as well as the world at large. Every time a new congressional representative is voted into office, AIPAC reaches out to educate the new official about Israel, sometimes sending the congressman to Israel to learn firsthand about its strengths as well as its security challenges. AIPAC is a most successful organization in educating lawmakers. We support AIPAC and we are grateful for the invaluable work that AIPAC staff does every day to help maintain America's strong congressional commitment to Israel and the unbreakable bond between the U.S. and Israel. Please come with us to the AIPAC Policy Conference next year.
Ensuring a strong state for the Jewish people By Michele Freesman Muhlenberg College Nine Muhlenberg students traveled to Washington, D.C., for the AIPAC Policy Conference this year, the largest gathering of pro-Israel activists. The delegates, including 2,000 students, gathered to hear from leading American and Israeli policy makers about the strategic and mutually beneficial alliance between Israel and the U.S. The conference empowered me by giving me the opportunity to listen to speakers like Vice President Joe Biden, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak. This gave us the knowledge and skills to affect policy through direct involvement in the American political system. We stormed Capitol Hill to express to our
Congressional representatives the need for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship. While sitting with Rep. Charlie Dent, I had a conversation with a true friend to the U.S.-Israel strategic alliance. We discussed stopping the Iranian pursuit of nuclear weapons and the mutual benefits of providing foreign aide to Israel, as well as codifying the Israeli alliance in American law. As a student, I have seen attendance increase in the last four years; however, there is always a need to expand further. With growing turmoil in the Middle East and the changing political landscape in the U.S., Israel needs our political support as the American Jewish community more than ever before. AIPAC has given me, as well as 2,000 other students, the tools to ensure that the U.S.-Israel alliance is long-lasting.