Members Log In   

Committees ยป Israel Action

The Israel Relations Committee will be a continuous entity, both in peacetime and in times of crisis.

Note - We encourage you to buy products from Israel - you can find an organized list of online shops at Shop in Israel.

Mission Statement

To unite local pro-Israel groups and individuals, in a non-partisan manner, to become actively supportive of Israel.

  • To strengthen ties with the State of Israel and the local Israeli community
  • To provide ongoing education about Israel
  • To be a resource for training and mobilizing individuals who are interested in pro-Israel activism

Background

We are fortunate on the Peninsula to have many strong and active supporters of Israel, many who are members of local synagogues that have a history of working together on local community issues and events. Local synagogues and organizations have participated in events such as pro-Israel rallies, the Palo Alto eruv, the relocation of the Palo Alto JCC, the anti-hate rally two years ago, as well as various lighter issues. Most of the synagogues and organizations have members who are Israeli or members that have family or friends in Israel.

Although there are many individuals that have been active and strong supporters of Israel, there are many individuals who hesitate becoming more involved. There are several factors that prevent an individual from becoming more involved. Some impediments are:

  • Fear of confrontation
  • Perceived lack of facts and background
  • Fear of public failure (sounding ignorant)
  • Fear of seeming too extreme
  • Terminal political correctness
  • Fear of isolation
  • Lack of time
  • Lack of knowledge of available resources
  • Lack of experience
  • Apathy

There is an increasingly vocal and sophisticated pro-Palestinian contingent on the Peninsula that works closely with the pro-Palestinian contingent in Berkeley. These groups have organized very effectively over the past several years using as models pro-Israel organizations such as AIPAC. They have learned that when a half-truth or outright lie is repeated often enough, the general public begins to believe it.

There appears to be a growing interest and need in the Jewish community to increase pro-Israel involvement, both politically and culturally, on an ongoing basis. The current crisis in Israel makes this need even more pressing.

Suggested Plans for Implementation

  • Consolidate resources and avoid duplication by creating a single Israel Relations Committee of two representatives from Kol Emeth and each of the other local synagogues and organizations mentioned above.
  • Together, target dates for training events, educational events, and social events. From the planned events, build teams for rapid media response and rapid public event response.
  • Utilize local pro-Israel organizations for speakers, fliers, email alerts and other programming materials.
  • Plan regular times and venues to practice message delivery skills through role-playing and letter writing.
  • Maintain a calendar to publicize and encourage participation at important events such as, but not only, Yom HaShoah, Yom Hatzmaut and Yom Hazikaron.
  • Encourage our youth groups to participate in community events and assist in planning said events.
  • Encourage members of the committee to involve themselves in local organizations that focus on particular methods of activism, i.e., political, cultural, media, etc.