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| Numerous “I like Israel” events held all over Germany
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Photo: Jerusalem Schalom
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For the fourth straight year, the Munich based, pro-Israel lobby, I Like Israel, celebrated Israel Day throughout Germany. The event is organised to fall on or around the date of Israel’s Independence Day.
The I Like Israel organisation seeks to counter the negative images of Israel in the media. “Four years ago, we suddenly got fed up with the anti-Israeli headlines… and weak Israeli PR,” Leo Sucharewicz, initiator of the event, said in a press statement.
On May 4 around 60 cities participated – 40 of them in Germany alone. Other European venues included Amsterdam, Basel, Copenhagen, Vienna and Zurich. In many locations, city governments acted as patrons, having set aside centrally located plazas for the day’s events.
Over 100,000 people participated in Germany. By virtue of the prime locations, thousands of people happened upon the events by coincidence, although thousands came motivated by shear conviction as well.
Typical foods, cultural dances and information kiosks shelling out information on every conceivable, relevant topic gave the event a non-commercial, tourist promotion flair. 180 organisations exhibited their programmes. They ranged from religious organisations to action committees.
Massive success
I Like Israel organised its first pro-Israel demonstration in Munich, in 2003. Over 3,000 people took part. Sucharewicz said he was amazed at the support his organisation received by local citizens as well as prominent politicians. Sucharewicz and his team of young professionals, mostly coming from the political science and PR/communications fields, were convinced that their initiative had a future.
In 2004, the event spread to Berlin as well as to the Italian university city of Bologna. Last year, 30 cities, world-wide, joined the bandwagon. They included Miami, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Toronto, Budapest and Prague.
Sucharewicz hopes that the event will spread to more than 200 cities in the next four years. He said that his organisation’s supporters come from all segments of society – “Bible enthusiasts, former Kibbutz employees… admirers of democracy”.
“Active supporters of Israel Day are critical about political rhetoric that is bought by petrodollars and manipulated media” he said.
Media sympathy needed
Since the beginning of the second Intifada, the Palestinian revolt directed against Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, which began in autumn of 2000, Israel lost most media sympathy it won following the initial peace accords with the Palestinians in the mid-90s.
Joel Lion, who runs the PR department of Israel’s embassy in Berlin told the Juedische Allgemeine weekly that Iranian President Ahmadinejad’s threats supporting the elimination of Israel from the map as well as his denial of the holocaust are factors which have increased understanding for Israel’s security needs by the German public in general. “People now can really see that Israel is truly threatened,” Lion said.
Managing Director of the German-Israeli society, Hildegard Radhauer, told the Juedische Allgemeine that the Danish caricature scandal of the past months as well as radical Islamic terror attacks in Europe over the past two years has also woken the Europeans – who may now see a relationship between their and Israel’s values. “Now we are better able to relate to the fears of the Israeli’s,” she said.
Israel’s unilateral pullout from Gaza has also played an important part in bettering European public opinion towards Israel.
Lion, however, was quick to point out that the increase in positive images towards Israel might only continue as long as Israel holds back from taking major military action to curb terror in the region.
Positive images
I Like Israel attempts to portray Israel not only as a country riddled in war and terror. It aims to push the positive images that actually dominate the country of 7 million inhabitants which includes high technology, culture and medicine.
Joel Lion likes to focus on Israel’s multi-cultural diversity that might be equal to that of the United States. “Israel is also country laden with many other accomplishments and problems dealing with everyday life in general, and not only war,” Lion told EJP. “We need that attention is also placed on these images as well,” he said.
The I Like Israel organisers spend most of the year organising seminars, workshops and lectures on Israel, anti-Semitism and intolerance. They are currently working with over 550 organisations, including the Germany military, in order to spread awareness.
Oren Osterer, spokesman for I Like Israel, told EJP that he was particularly happy that many political organisations found common ground in their support for the democratic values of Israel. “It is amazing seeing social-democrats, conservatives, Christians, Jews and even leftist groups working together harmoniously for Israel Day. We have been overwhelmed by their helpfulness and cooperation,” Osterer said.
I Like Israel is expanding and is open to new partnerships from around the world.
For more information: oren@il-israel.com. The website www.il-israel.com is currently in construction.
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