Democrats for Israel Los Angeles News

DFI-LA Statement: We Stand with the Iranian People

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 00:02:15 GMT

A Guide to Zionism (that even an anti-Zionist can understand)

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 21:54:17 GMT

A GUIDE TO ZIONISM

(THAT EVEN AN ANTI-ZIONIST CAN UNDERSTAND)

A couple of weeks ago Virginia Assemblymember Sam Rasoul, who had risen to become chair of the Assembly Education Committee announced that Zionism was "evil".

To many Palestinian refugees, Zionism was the motivating factor behind what displaced their families during the War of Independence, or "Nakba" (meaning tragedy) as they call it. Rasoul's family was displaced from the West Bank after the 1967 War, not the War of Independence. The West Bank was not occupied by Israel until Jordan began shelling Israeli positions joining the war started by Egyptian closure of the Suez to Israeli shipping and an aborted Egyptian invasion.

While result of Zionism was not, in fact the reason for the war reaching Rasoul's family in 1967, for many it was. However as we know, Zionism reached its goal of re-establishing a Jewish state only after Pan-Arab forces refused to accept the UN mandate for a Jewish state next to an Arab Palestinian one.

While the duality of Israel's creation having a different effect on Palestinians can be acknowledged, some Palestinians and advocates for Palestinian rights have tried to conflate Zionism with its most extreme elements and keep the false narrative running that Israel was a "colonial project of Jewish supremacy."

But Zionism in itself does not envision diminishment or loss of rights for non-Jews. Most versions of Zionism do not view a Jewish state as being exclusive of rights for non-Jews, just like Argentina, the United Kingdom and Switzerland have state religions.

Our sister organization (California Jewish Democrats) has developed a short "Guide to Zionism" page and graphic to educate and put a stop to this libel.

Film Review: BEARING WITNESS

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 01:09:55 GMT

‘Bearing Witness’ Is a Film the World Needs to See — Whether We Want To or Not'

David Alpern along with Mihran Kalaydjian of DFI-LA were invited to a preview of OCTOBER 7: BEARING WITNESS TO THE MASSACRE (october7film.com), which is being released to the public this fall (October 3, 2025) on Amazon Prime Video and other VOD platforms. The film is a documentary and serves an important role in that it focuses on the history of the conflict to better understand what motivates the parties to the conflict, specifically focusing on the Muslim mindset, and why their culture has such a radical proclamation toward violence, and are willing to sacrifice their own life toward the goal of capturing the entirety of the land that is known today as the State of Israel. This is a concept foreign to most Western thinking. The film references for example, how this mindset allowed ISIS to recruit 40,000 fighters nearly overnight.

One of the strengths of the movie is the frequent return to having the wonderful Einat Wilf provide perspective. Ms. Wilf is a former member of Knesset and has a tremendous grasp of the history of the Arab world. The movie is further supported by having Daniel Gordis, the famed American Israeli author, provide frequent commentary over much of the film.

The documentary does such an effective job of combining historical perspective, with news reporting all comingled with interviews and visuals filmed as Todd Morehead explores what happened on location. Much footage is spliced in so to help understand the actions, the motives, and the reactions. In essence, this isn’t a movie; this is evidence.

This is not a film about war. There are no soldiers shown in combat. There is no analysis of military operations or political policies. The focus is singular and chilling: the deliberate killing of unarmed civilians. Whether or not you support Israel’s government is irrelevant in context of this film. The footage doesn’t ask you to take sides. It asks you to recognize shared humanity. The suffering on screen is not abstract — it’s deeply personal. And that’s what makes it so urgent.

364 were killed at the Nova festival and 44 were taken hostage into the dungeon tunnels of Gaza. European style pogroms came to Israel on October 7, 2023. Exactly what Israel promised its people would never again ever happen to them… sadly did happen to them.

For those of us in Los Angeles—a city with one of the largest Jewish populations outside Israel, and a growing and passionate Palestinian community—this film poses a deeply uncomfortable civic question: Can we recognize suffering, even when it challenges our politics? Can we make space for grief without immediately converting it into accusation?

Yes, the film is traumatic. People have left screenings in silence. Some wept. Others could not speak. That reaction is normal. It’s human. But if the footage is real—and it is—then the pain is not staged. It’s the documented aftermath of a real human catastrophe.

Some argue this is not the right time to show such imagery. But if not now, when? How long do we wait before we allow ourselves to confront the truth? And if we turn away from this, what else are we willing to ignore?

In a time of deepfakes, disinformation, and willful denial, Bearing Witness is a stark reminder that some truths are not up for debate. The film does not exist to comfort. It’s not trying to persuade. It exists to document — to ensure that what happened is neither forgotten nor denied.

To bear witness is painful. But it is necessary. Because once we have seen this footage, we can no longer say, “We didn’t know.”

Watch the trailer: https://www.october7film.com/gallery?pgid=mcccsxdx-d851953a-532c-40c0-bfb8-0d64cbc12fb7

DFI-LA Statement: US Involvement in Israel's War with Iran

Sat, 28 Jun 2025 03:26:23 GMT

DFI-LA Statement: Support of Israel's Actions Against Iran

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 03:25:09 GMT

DFI-LA Statement: Boulder, Colorado Attack on Run For Their Lives

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 03:23:25 GMT

DFI-LA Statement: Murder of Sarah Milgrim & Yaron Lischinsky

Fri, 23 May 2025 02:32:56 GMT

DFI-LA at Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley General Assembly

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 06:04:43 GMT

Pictured are DFI-LA's President Gregg Sokovits and Executive Board Member Mihran Kalaydjian at the March 2025 Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley General Assembly with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and newly elected Assemblymember Nick Schultz. Also, a group shot of all the attendees.

DFI-LA Members Honored at DPSFV Truman Awards

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 02:20:59 GMT

Colleen Henry Schwab honored as outstanding volunteer of the year by DPSFV on January 25, 2025.

President Carter - POTUS Efforted for First Ever Arab-Israel Peace Treaty

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 21:42:40 GMT

On his passing (12/29/2024) at the age of 100, DFI-LA remembers President Jimmy Carter as a principled leader who loved America and celebrates his monumental achievement of the first ever peace agreement between Israel and one of its neighboring Arab states. President Carter dedicated an enormous amount of focused time to this one issue during the 13 days of the Camp David Summit (September 5–17, 1978). Rarely had an American President devoted as much sustained attention to a single foreign policy issue as Carter did over the summit's nearly two-week duration. That peace treaty remains in place to this very day, and for that DFI-LA thanks him immensely.

Opinion: Trump/Vance Administration would not be one Israel could rely on

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 18:58:02 GMT

An interesting post this week by Rabbi Benjamin Kelsen (@bgkelsen) who stated how this pretty much makes it clear that a Trump/Vance Administration is not one Israel could rely on, despite Bibi’s love for Trump:

To those members of the Jewish community still supporting the Trump-Vance ticket, please see this most recent interview which was given by Senator Vance earlier this week.

He openly states that he doesn’t believe that the United States should support Israel if its interests do not overlap with those of the US. He also stated that he does not believe that the US should support Israel in military action against Iran.

He states that his belief as to what would make it “worthwhile” for the US to be involved in military action against Iran is how much money it would cost the US to be involved and how much money would be saved by staying out of the conflict.

Given his statement a moment or two before regarding Vladimir Putin, one must seriously question the wisdom of relying on a Trump-Vance administration to have Israel’s back.

Don’t rely on my assessment. Watch the video for yourself: Sen. JD Vance on the Tim Dillon Show #414: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPlqID3zv4k

“Obviously, Israel has the right to defend itself, but America’s interest is sometimes going to be distinct, like sometimes we’re going to have overlapping interests, and sometimes we’re going to have distinct interests,”
“Our interest, I think very much, is in not going to war with Iran, right? It would be a huge distraction of resources. It would be massively expensive to our country.”
“In the reaction to it, what I noticed is that American pro-Israel people, or people who fashioned themselves as pro-Israel, were actually much more militaristic than the Israelis who were living in Israel,”
“The Israelis were like, OK, Hamas just attacked us. We’re gonna go really screw Hamas up. But of course, yeah, there’s a humanitarian side of that, and we want to try to minimize civilian casualties. But you had Americans saying, ‘Oh … This attack happened on Putin’s birthday, right? So we need to go to war against Russia, and obviously the Iranians funded part of this. We need to go to war with Iran.’”
“Now, I don’t want Iran to get a nuclear weapon and I think we should be very strongly encouraging the Iranians and using all the influence that we have to encourage them to not have a nuclear weapon. I think nuclear proliferation is just a bad idea. Enough people have nukes, and the more people that have nukes, I think the greater the risk of nuclear war. But we just have to be smart about it,”
”Again, I’m not saying we stick ourselves into the Middle East and start a war here, but look, we recognize [that the] Israelis, Gulf Arab states don’t like Iran, so let the Israelis and the Gulf Arab states provide the counterbalance to Iran,”
“America doesn’t have to constantly police every region of the world. We should empower people to police their own regions of the world. One, we would save a lot of money. Two, we’d save a lot of focus,”

Nova Exhibition in Los Angeles - thru November 3, 2024

Sun, 20 Oct 2024 03:05:20 GMT

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DFI–LA Condemns Radical Anti-Jewish Hate on University Campuses

Sun, 28 Apr 2024 03:47:50 GMT

April 27, 2024 - Democrats for Israel - Los Angeles (DFI-LA) condemns the level of vicious anti-Jewish hate being promoted by anti-Israel tent “encampments” on a growing number of American college campuses, including UCLA.

Led by college radicals and outside supporters, the demonstrators are spewing hate messages such as “by any means necessary”, “intifada resistance”, “from the river to the sea”, “ashkenormativity”, along with a collection of anti-Zionism expressions that are clearly antisemitic.

These encampments are the latest in an ongoing onslaught of hateful anti-Israel and antisemitic activity at universities across the country. This is not an issue of First Amendment right to freedom of expression. DFI-LA strongly supports that right for any student on any campus. But that freedom of expression does not include the promotion of bigotry, discrimination, or violence against any individual or group based on ethnicity, religion, national origin, or otherwise. Nor is it acceptable for hate groups to deny any student full access to educational opportunities by physically blocking access or by making people feel unwelcome and/or unsafe.

In coordination with other pro-Israel organizations, DFI-LA calls on university administrations nationwide to take all necessary steps to ensure a safe learning environment for ALL students, including enforcing all applicable school policies regarding conduct and safety. It is unthinkable that Jewish students are the ones being instructed to leave their campuses, while anti-Israel extremists and Hamas supporters are taking control of campus property and wreaking havoc on campuses locally and nationally.

To those students participating in these misguided encampments, our message is one of education: On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists murdered, raped, burned alive, dismembered, brutalized, and tortured thousands of people. Hamas continues to hold 133 hostages in captivity. The U.S. Secretary of Defense has referred to the crimes of Hamas as “worse than ISIS,” and on April 24 – last Thursday -- these same terrorists praised the student protests now shamefully being promulgated across America.

Make no mistake: if genocidal terrorist organizations like Hamas, PFLP, and the Supreme Leader of Iran have your back, you are on the wrong side of history. Your actions and vocalizations in support of violence and hatred do nothing but fuel more division and conflict on your campuses and in the Middle East. DFI-LA hopes that those protesting students would learn the history of the worldwide attempts to create a two-state solution giving both the Jewish people and the Palestinian people homelands, and the ability to live in peace side by side. This was the goal of the United Nations in 1947 when it passed a resolution creating the two-state plan, and was promptly rejected by the Palestinians and the Arab nations in the region who chose instead to attack the State of Israel in the hope of driving the Jews into the seas. A two-state solution has been the goal of Israel since that War of Independence, Israel has actively sought a peaceful resolution with its Palestinian neighbors and surrounding Arab nations. Israel came to agreements in 1979 with Egypt, in 1993 with the Palestinian leaders in the Oslo Accords, in 1994 with Jordan, and in 2005 unilaterally withdrew from Gaza. Israel has made many genuine attempts to make peace with its neighbors.

Israel has also agreed to NUMEROUS ceasefires with Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad – ceasefires that both organizations have willfully and repeatedly violated, most recently last October 7 in the most heinous attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

Let all lovers of freedom continue to stand tall and strong, rejecting the hate and the fear being promoted by the campus extremists leading the encampments. Do not let any radical force or voice distract us from what matters most: defeating the terrorist organization Hamas and helping the Palestinian people establish an independent state that lives peacefully alongside the Jewish State of Israel.

Statement on Iranian Government's Attack on Israel

Sun, 14 Apr 2024 05:47:14 GMT

4/13/2024 - The Israel Defense Forces have announced that the theocratic Islamist government of Iran has launched a multi-pronged attack on Israel from Iranian soil. Initial reports indicate that drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles from Iran are heading for Israel.

The Israeli missile defense systems will be the first line of defense for this attack, while American missile defense systems are also in position in the region to intercept incoming attacks on Israel, reflecting the strong partnership between the two countries. Jordan is also expected to attempt to shoot down any drones or missiles from Iran that violate its airspace.

The U.S. Secretary of Defense and National Security Advisor spoke with their Israeli counterparts earlier today (4/13/2024), and the White House has issued a statement affirming American support for Israel in the face of these attacks. Democrats and Republicans in Congress have already issued statements supporting Israel and condemning the Iranian regime.

Democrats for Israel – Los Angeles recognizes and appreciates the strong support of President Joe Biden and the bipartisan leadership of Congress for Israel. Never before has the Iranian government attempted to attack the Israeli homeland from its own soil, and an unprecedented red line has now been crossed by the Iranian regime.

Our thoughts are with the people of Israel, who are now confronting this dangerous attack from Iran. DFI LA, its members and its supporters will continue to urge the President and Congress to make sure that Israel has the resources and support it will need to defend itself.

DFI-LA Statement re: LACDP's March 2024 Resolution

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 23:21:28 GMT

On March 12, 2024, the Los Angeles County Democratic Party (LACPD) passed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The resolution was crafted in part by several members of the LACDP who are members of Democrats for Israel (DFI) – Los Angeles. Those DFI–LA members were acting as individuals, as Democrats for Israel – Los Angeles has not taken a formal position in favor or in opposition to a ceasefire. The LACDP reported that DFI–Los Angeles co-authored the resolution. That was not accurate. Furthermore, the resolution omitted several critical items.

We remind LACDP and others that it was Hamas that started this conflict by violating a ceasefire with Israel with its October 7, 2023 brutal assault on innocent Israel civilians, the single worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. Moreover, Hamas terrorists continue to use the Palestinian civilians in Gaza as human shields while they hide in tunnels underneath Gaza, or use hospitals as staging grounds. DFI–LA decries the casualties among the civilian population of Gaza, and holds both Hamas and its Iranian benefactors as the primary responsible parties for this crisis. But any ceasefire that does not include the release of all hostages, the return of the bodies of all victims of Hamas’ October 7 surprise attack, and the removal of Hamas’ control of Gaza, is both unacceptable and counterproductive. Hamas’ repeated commitment to continue attacks such as the October 7 massacre makes it clear there can be no lasting peace between the Palestinian people and the people of Israel so long as Hamas remains in power in Gaza.

Furthermore, Democrats for Israel – Los Angeles calls for the LACDP, and the California Democratic Party, to acknowledge the continued rape and abuse of female victims and female hostages by Hamas and its allies, both on the day of the October 7, 2023 attack, and during the many months that they have been held in captivity in Gaza.

Democrats for Israel – Los Angeles is hopeful that a lasting, if not permanent, ceasefire in Gaza becomes possible. Indeed, DFI–LA is also hopeful that a lasting peace WILL emerge, allowing both Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and prosperity, rather than in constant conflict.

How to Get a Palestine State? Stop Hating the Jews

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 05:16:41 GMT

DFI-LA's David Alpern and Mihran Kalaydjian penned an op-ed: How to Get a Palestine State? Stop Hating the Jews - https://www.citywatchla.com/world-watch/28512-how-to-get-a-palestine-state-stop-hating-the-jews

DSA Infuriated by DFI Endorsement of Nithya Raman's Reelection

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 20:07:41 GMT

The local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America censured council member, Nithya Raman, for seeking the backing of Democrats for Israel Los Angeles. DSA also voted to retain its own endorsement of Raman, infuriating some of the organization’s members and laying bare the bizarre political pretzeling involved when the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is injected into local races. Read: https://forward.com/news/578358/nithya-raman-dsa-censure-dfi-endorsement

Op-Ed: Like Hamas, Benjamin Netanyahu’s Reign Also Must End ASAP

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 23:09:57 GMT

DFI-LA's David Alpern and Mihran Kalaydjian penned an op-ed: Like Hamas, Benjamin Netanyahu’s Reign Also Must End ASAP

https://www.citywatchla.com/important-reads/28314-like-hamas-benjamin-netanyahus-reign-also-must-end-asap

California Legislative Jewish Caucus Priority Bills and Actions

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 22:13:35 GMT

Jewish Caucus letter sent January 3, 2024 to all members of the California State Legislature asking for "support and solidarity at an unprecedented moment of pain and fear for our Jewish community. Recent events, including Hamas’s horrific October 7 massacre, the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, the glorification of violence and sexual assault against Jews, calls for the annihilation of Israel, and the extreme escalation of antisemitism in the United States and around the world have left our community reeling. According to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), since October 7 there have been more than 200 bomb threats against Jewish institutions in California. We cannot recall another time in recent history when Jews in California felt as targeted, threatened, and unsafe as they do now. At this moment, the work our Legislative Jewish Caucus has been doing in close partnership with Jewish community organizations feels existential."

California Legislative Jewish Caucus Dear Colleague Letter 2024 01 03.pdf

DFI-LA Statement on Hamas Attack on Israel

Sat, 07 Oct 2023 19:51:11 GMT

10/7/2023 - Like the many organizations in the Jewish and non-Jewish world across our nation, Democrats for Israel Los Angeles, alongside the many affiliated DFI groups across the state of California, condemns the Saturday morning surprise attack by the terrorist Hamas regime in Gaza on Israel.

The brutality of Iranian-supported Hamas terrorists is being documented in real time. Women and children beaten and then taken hostage. Kibbutz residents who have worked for peace with the Palestinians for their entire lives butchered by terrorists. Thousands of rockets launched deliberately at Israeli cities, villages and kibbutz have killed Israeli children, women and men and injured hundreds, while Hamas terrorists on the ground have killed hundreds more.

DFI-LA condemns this senseless and unprovoked attack on Israel and its citizens and calls on all members of the Democratic Party and all Americans to rally in support of Israel, as President Biden and his administration have already done.

There will be time for investigations about how just such an attack by Hamas was planned and implemented, catching the Israeli security apparatus by surprise, just as there will be plenty of time for political and military analysts to determine just how much the unrest in the West Bank contributed to this situation. But for now, it is time for Americans to rally behind Israel, the only democracy in the region, in opposition to the terrorism of Hamas and Iran’s other allies in the region, notably and potentially, Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Pro-Democracy Opposition Solidarity Joint Statement

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 23:56:04 GMT

We stand in solidarity with the pro-democracy opposition in Israel, against the policies of the extremist coalition government of Benjamin Netanyahu

March 13, 2023

As Democrats, we are greatly alarmed by the potential harms to Israeli society by Israel’s new governing coalition, the most right-wing in its history.

The values of the California Democratic Party (CDP) are clear. The CDP’s 2022 Platform states its support for Israel’s future as a secure democratic Jewish state and provides Israelis and Palestinians the right to live with independence, sovereignty, and dignity within their own viable states free from persecution, terror, or incitement.

Consistent with our values and those of the Democratic Party, we continue to support the right of Israel to live securely as a Jewish and democratic state, as it has since 1948.

As we have seen in the rise of other right-wing nationalist governments in Hungary, Poland, Turkey and Italy, the recent elections in Israel have veered the country sharply to the right and away from the democratic principles espoused by its founders — principles that have placed the Jewish state among other western democratic nations.

When Donald Trump was elected President, millions of Americans mobilized to oppose his policies, but they did not advocate for the end of the United States. They mobilized because they loved their country. As American Jews, we are not citizens of Israel, but we recognize that Jewish identity remains intertwined with Israel’s existence.

Criticism of harmful Israeli policy that bears on its democratic character is appropriate as long as it does not embrace antisemitism or seek to delegitimize Israel’s existence. The way to support Israel and its democratic values is to stand with the more than 200,000 Israelis regularly coming out to protest the current government's attempts to undermine its democratic principles. Indeed, as Democrats and as Zionists, we express great alarm at the current government’s proposed policies and stand in solidarity with Israelis of all religions and orientations who seek to protect a democratic Israel.

We stand in solidarity with a democratic Israel because the current far-right government is advancing a proposal to eliminate independent judicial oversight, which would enable members of the government to refuse to comply with the law whenever they choose. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is standing trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust while leading a campaign to destroy the very judicial system responsible for his criminal prosecution, dismantling the separation of powers, eroding the independence of Israel's judges and giving politicians unfettered control.

To accomplish this requires extremist alliances. Enter Itamar Ben-Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich and others, who seemingly have no qualms about dismantling Israeli democracy, disregarding the rights of the LGBTQ community, women, secular Israelis, Reform and Conservative Jews, and other minority groups. This extremist coalition government is ignoring the concerns of the millions in Israel who oppose this anti-democratic judicial overhaul, and members of this extremist coalition government have refused to slow the process and sit down and negotiate reforms that would be acceptable to the vast majority of the Israeli public.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the Palestinian village of Huwara to be wiped out because a terrorist shot and killed Israelis at a settlement nearby. Shortly thereafter, a mob of settlers attacked and torched the town. Further, another member of the coalition government objected to the arrest of Israeli settlers who are connected with the attack. Ben-Gvir has been convicted of incitement to terrorism on multiple occasions. He is a follower of the late rabbi Meir Kahane, the founder of Kahanism: a violent, extremist ideology that advocates for and has inspired acts of terror. He and his disciples were rightly banned from Israel's legislature in 1988 on the grounds that their ideology is “racist and undemocratic.” As recently as November 2022, Ben-Gvir attended a commemoration ceremony for Meir Kahane.

We stand in solidarity with a democratic Israel because Israel’s ruling coalition seems bent on imposing radical change to Israel’s political system. We Democrats in the United States have witnessed how a rightward shift of the Supreme Court has impacted the rights of immigrants, expanded Title 42, and reversed Roe v. Wade. A majority of our U.S. Supreme Court Justices have also signaled a readiness to challenge voting rights, election law, and affirmative action. The erosion of minority protections in our own country is deepening and, as noted by Israeli legal experts, the proposed dismantling of the checks and balances of an independent Israeli judiciary would have a similar effect. Democracy is not the power of a temporary, thin legislative majority to permanently —without recourse — oppress and remove the rights of its citizens. We cannot stand by quietly as democratic protections are eroded in both Israel and the United States.

We stand in solidarity because we are concerned for the rights and aspirations of the Palestinian people, who desire their own viable, independent state living in peace next to Israel. We are particularly concerned with a guiding principle of the new coalition, which seeks to greenlight unilateral annexation, making a two-state solution virtually impossible and making the establishment of a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians equally impossible. Worse, the goals of this coalition government would normalize a unilateral form of Jewish hegemony from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, creating no options for consenting Palestinians to retain basic human rights of self-determination and taking away the option of their own state. The ruling coalition is in contravention of the national Democratic Party platform, which expressly supports a two-state solution and opposes unilateral actions by either party—whether it be Israelis imposing a single state via annexation or Palestinians attempting to force Israelis into a single-majority Palestinian state through an international campaign of delegitimization and a wildly overbroad interpretation of right of return laws.

As Democrats, we stand in solidarity with those seeking a democratic Israel by standing in opposition to the extreme proposals of Israel’s current coalition government, which are in stark contrast to our party platform and the values enshrined in Israel’s founding Declaration of Independence. Israelis are raising a clear and broad voice to oppose these proposed policies. These voices cannot be ignored.

We stand with the will of the Israeli people to find solutions that benefit all Israelis, protect democracy, and work for a sustainable peace.

●      Democrats for Israel California, a council of Jewish Democratic clubs
●      Progressive Zionists of California
●      Democrats for Israel Los Angeles
●      Jewish Democratic Club of Silicon Valley
●      Jewish Democratic Club of Solano County

####

Shared Values - America and Israel Rush To Provide Aid Wherever And Whenever Needed

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 01:52:12 GMT

DFI-LA's Mihran Kalaydjian and David Alpern published a look at the shared values that lead both Israel and American to frequently extend a helping hand to those afflicted anywhere, anytime, by a natural disaster.

https://citywatchla.com/index.php/cw/world-watch/26452-shared-values-america-and-israel-rush-to-provide-aid-wherever-and-whenever-needed

and...

https://www.publishedreporter.com/2023/02/12/op-ed-shared-values-helping-nations-why-two-nations-rush-to-provide-aid-wherever-and-whenever-needed

America and Israel’s shared values spur each of them to quickly respond when a global crisis happens due to a natural disaster. For Israel it is rooted in the Jewish concept of being responsible for providing Tikkun Olam (heal the world) derived from one of the noblest precepts found in the Mishnah (in Sanhedrin) as well as other Talmudic-period texts that convey how “Whoever Saves a Life Saves the World”. America is the only country ever founded on Judeo-Christian values, where Judaic values are factored into the DNA of the nation alongside Christian values. The balance of Western democracies are founded strictly on Christian values. As such, America and Israel are the only two countries in the history of civilization who have incorporate Jewish values into their DNA and worldview, which in this case translates into being a resource to all corners of the globe when tragedy strikes.

IDF Search and Rescue Mission to Turkey

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 20:06:27 GMT

Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) quickly sent a humanitarian aid delegation to Turkey on the heels of the deadly 7.8 earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday morning (2/6/2023) killing tens of thousands and injuring thousands more.

The Israel Defense Forces sent a humanitarian aid delegation to Turkey to assist in the disaster relief effort - including helping extricate the thousands who remained trapped beneath rubble. "Olive Branches" is a joint mission together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense to lend their expertise in searching for survivors and treating wounded victims. Israel also sent supplies to Syria, despite officially being in a declared state of war.

Why Jewish Organizations Support Ethnic Studies

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 03:04:32 GMT

By MIHRAN KALAYDJIAN - GREGG SOLKOVITS (published FEB 1, 2023)
https://citywatchla.com/index.php/cw/important-reads/26395-why-so-many-jewish-organizations-support-ethnic-studies

Why So Many Jewish Organizations Support Ethnic Studies

EDUCATION - As members of the Community in Los Angeles, we are often asked why our organization supported the passage of state legislation requiring Ethnic Studies as a high school graduation requirement.

The answer is an easy one. It was the right thing to do at the time, and it is the right thing for our high school students today. In a state where many if not most school districts have a majority of their students coming from historically disadvantaged and historically marginalized communities, we supported (and still support) requiring high school students to have the opportunity to learn about THEIR history. The legislation as passed by the State Legislature, and the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum adopted by the State Board of Education as a result of the law, focuses on four ethnic groups in California – African American, Asian and Pacific Islander, Latino, and Native Americans. The model curriculum adopted by the SBE seeks to educate students about the history and culture of these four groups, but to do so in a straightforward, objective manner, with school districts free to add courses on the history and culture of other ethnic groups with significant populations within their boundaries. The State Board of Education was quite clear in its Model Curriculum – the courses were to be taught by teachers to inform students, rather than proselytize one perspective or another, depending on the teacher’s point of view.

Of course, we are living in highly politicized times, and public education has strangely become a political battlefield. Many on both sides of the political spectrum have chosen to mischaracterize what the Ethnic Studies courses required by the legislation are, and what they should be.

From the right wing, we have pundits stating with great alarm that California schools will be teaching anti-American curriculum that seeks to paint our Founding Fathers and the history of our nation in negative brush strokes in an attempt to turn students against “the American Way”. Those critics are quick to accuse advocates of Ethnic Studies of injecting Critical Race Theory – a widely accepted approach in college curriculum that sees the racism and white supremacy that was so prevalent in the first century of the United States as the foundation for so many of the societal ills that our nation faces today – into our K-12 schools.

Those on the left criticize the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum because it did not incorporate rhetoric that puts the blame for today’s racial and economic problems entirely on the exploitation of colonies by the colonizing nations of the 17th and 18th centuries. Some on the left also pushed to include rhetoric that was explicitly anti-Israel and arguably antisemitic into the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum – essentially labeling Jews who supported the return of Jews to their ancestral homeland of Israel as “colonizers”. This approach was rejected by the State Board of Education for a variety of reasons, including having little or nothing to do with the four “core” ethnic groups to be focused on, for use of inflammatory rhetoric, and a bevy of other reasons. Indeed, the SBE rejected the first draft of model curriculum for these and other reasons.

As we write this article, the LAUSD is moving forward with the development of a wide variety of courses that meet the high school graduation requirement adopted by the California Legislature, although it should be pointed out that the LAUSD moved to make Ethnic Studies a high school graduation requirement in 2014, well before the state legislature took action. In concert with a number of Los Angeles area Jewish organizations and advocates in Los Angeles is working with the school district’s Division of Instruction to ensure that new Ethnic Studies courses meet the LAUSD policy requiring curriculum to taught in a manner that emphasizes critical thinking skills rather than being taught from a particular political point of view. Furthermore, we have made it clear to the district that curriculum should be developed in a transparent and inclusive process.

Ethnic Studies is an important addition to the LAUSD and state of California’s list of high school graduation requirements. It is vital that courses that are adopted to meet that requirement meet the highest standards of rigor and objectivity. We applaud the LAUSD’s commitment to work with the community and look forward with enthusiasm to the expansion of ethnic studies course offerings.

(Mihran Kalaydjian is a consummate leading member of the community and a devoted activist. He has spearheaded numerous educational initiatives.)

(Gregg Solkovits is President of Democrats for Israel – Los Angeles and is a 36+ year Social Studies and English teacher.)

DFI-LA Attends Caroline Menjivar Swearing In Ceremony

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 00:35:42 GMT

DFI LA President Gregg Solkovits, DFI LA Vice President Michelle Elmer and DFI LA Executive Board member Mihran Kalaydjian attended the local district swearing in ceremony of California State Senate District 20 Senator Caroline Menjivar, (D-Northeast San Fernando Valley) on Saturday, January 28.

DFI-LA with Jesse Gabriel

DFI-LA with Caroline Menjivar

DFI-LA with Pilar Schiavo

DFI-LA with Adrin Nazarian

Held at the Monteverde Ranch in Sylmar, numerous elected officials and community members were present to see Menjivar be sworn in by State Senator Maria Elena Durazo. DFI LA gave a Support position in the election, which was held last November (2022).

CADEM - California Democratic Party Convention Endorsements

Sat, 07 Jan 2023 01:03:18 GMT

Democrats for Israel – Los Angeles reminds its members and supporters that elections to choose delegates to the California Democratic Party Convention are being held thru January 22. Any registered Democratic voter in the state can vote for the delegates from THEIR Assembly District, at ANY CADEM election site over the next few weeks.

Below is a list of DFI LA members who are running, listed by Assembly District. Following that list is a list of voting sites, and the day (and hours) that site will be open.

We need to get these members elected. There WILL be anti-Israel resolutions introduced at the CA Democratic Party convention. We need these leaders at that convention, to push back on those attempts to single out Israel for criticism, and to keep the Democratic Party’s official position one of support for Israel and the two-state solution!!

Vote for these candidates:

AD 40 Gregg Solkovits

AD 40 Renay Grace Rodriguez

AD 40 Lorraine Lundquist

AD 40 Brandon Zavala

AD 42 Jeremy Wolf

AD 42 Murtaza Mogri

AD 42 Jodie Cooper

AD 42 Jonathan M Zasloff

AD 44 Analisa Swan

AD 44 Armond Aghakhanian

AD 44 Paul Kujawsky

AD 46 Jessica Yas Barker

AD 46 Bari Worth Girvan

AD 46 Greg Girvan

AD 46 Daniel Spitzer

AD 47 Patrick Weiss

AD 51 Naomi Goldman

AD 51 Debbie Paperman

AD 51 Louis Abramson

AD 51 Isabel Storey

AD 51 Jonah Platt

AD 51 Caroline Torosis

AD 51 Jane Wishon

AD 51 Barry Snell

AD 55 Darrel Menthe

AD 55 Linda Lucks

AD 55 Rachel Pearl Bracker

AD 59 Lauren Klatzker

AD 66 Tony Hale

AD 66 Scott Houston

AD 69 David Alpern

AD 69 David Rosen

DFI-LA Garden Party 2022

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 00:13:48 GMT

Watch: Schwarzenegger Visits Auschwitz

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 00:57:37 GMT

Watch: Arnold Schwarzenegger visits site of Nazi German death camp Auschwitz and meets a Holocaust survivor. Urges world to TERMINATE hatred: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMUy_QzPH2s

Article - https://fortune.com/2022/09/29/arnold-schwarzenegger-visits-auschwitz-meets-holocaust-survivor-urges-world-to-terminate-hatred/

Supporting Israel in Congress

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 00:54:38 GMT

From: "Rep. Sherman" <repsherman@mail8.housecommunications.gov>
Date: August 25, 2022 at 4:10:11 PM PDT

Supporting Israel in Congress - from Congressman Brad Sherman

I am writing to provide you an update on my recent work related to Middle East policy in Congress.

For 26 years, I have served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where I am the second most senior Democrat. I currently serve as the Co-Chair of the House’s Israel Allies Caucus, where I work to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship. Since 1997, I have spoken at every annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Policy Conference in Washington D.C.

Fighting Back Against the UN’s Biased Commission of Inquiry

In 2021, the United Nations (UN) adopted a resolution to create a biased and illegitimate permanent Commission of Inquiry (COI) to investigate supposed Israeli war crimes. Unsurprisingly, this outrageous COI appointed biased commissioners - one of whom recently made anti-Semitic comments about a so-called ‘Jewish lobby.’

To combat these efforts, I joined a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urging him to immediately remove the COI commissioner who made these insidious comments and disband the COI altogether. I also previously wrote to Secretary of State Blinken urging the Administration to defund the COI by reducing the U.S.’s contributions to the UN by the cost of the COI.

Lastly, I cosponsored H.R.7223, the COI Elimination Act, which would make it official U.S. policy to seek the abolition of the COI and reduce U.S. contributions to the UN by 25% of the amount budgeted for the COI. I will continue to fight against outrageous anti-Israel bias at the United Nations and in all international organizations.

Supporting the Iron Dome

Israel continues to face unprecedented threats, from Hamas to Hizballah to Iran. Hamas fires rockets to kill as many Israeli civilians as it can. Each rocket fired at Israel is a war crime, whether or not it achieves Hamas’ bloody objective.

Accordingly, Congress is committed to maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge (QME) and its ability to defend itself, by itself, against persistent threats. U.S. aid to Israel is only ½ of 1% of our national security budget and the best investment we can make in our own security.

U.S.-Israel cooperative missile defense programs such as the Iron Dome, Arrow 3, and David’s Sling systems have saved countless Israeli civilian lives and prevented further escalation of hostilities. I have been a vocal proponent of funding and replenishing the Iron Dome.

When Hamas launched 4,500 rockets targeting Israeli civilians in the spring of 2021, I sent a letter to the Department of Defense urging the Biden Administration to continue its support of Israel’s safety and security by replenishing the Iron Dome.

I was proud to vote for supplemental funding to replenish the Iron Dome this September, which passed with overwhelming support in the House.

When this critical funding was blocked by a Republican Senator, I sent a letter urging President Biden to put his weight behind this issue by specifically requesting that Congress include supplemental funding for Israel’s Iron Dome in an appropriations bill to circumvent this Senator’s delay.

I then sent a second letter to the Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee urging the $1 billion in Iron Dome replenishment funding to be included in the FY2022 appropriations bill.

As a result, the FY2022 appropriations legislation included this funding, and it passed the House this March.

Security Assistance to Israel – $3.8 Billion is a Floor, Not a Ceiling

I am a strong supporter of the current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between Israel and the United States, committing $3.8 billion in annual defense assistance through 2028. I also support the right of Congress to appropriate more aid than the MOU calls for.

To ensure Israel’s qualitative military edge, we need to do more to help Israel and must ensure our weapons transfers to other states in the Middle East do not erode that advantage.

I joined Rep. Schneider in introducing H.R. 849 – Guaranteeing Israel’s QME Act of 2020. This legislation would require consultation with the Government of Israel prior to the sale of any advanced weapon system to the region to ensure Israel maintains its QME.

Remembering Israelis Lost to Terrorism

Ahead of the 50th Anniversary of the Munich Massacre, I joined my colleague Burgess Owens in introducing a bipartisan House Resolution calling for a moment of silence in Congress and at all future Olympic Opening Ceremonies in honor of the eleven Israeli athletes who were brutally murdered by a group of Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.

The massacre of eleven Israelis during the 1972 Munich Olympics remains one of the darkest chapters in Olympic history.

As we near the 50th anniversary of this hateful act, I will continue to fight to memorialize the victims and pass this resolution to provide a powerful reminder of the need to continue combatting bigotry, anti-Semitism and terror in all its forms.

U.S.-Israel Energy, Agriculture, and Technology Cooperation

All too often when people think of Israel, they think of a recent terrorist attack. When people think of Israel they should think not of tsuris, but of science.

In 2007, I authored the legislation that established the U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperation Program. Since its inception, Congress has provided $39.7 million for the U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperative Agreement program, fully matched dollar for dollar by the Government of Israel. Since 2009, the program has leveraged over $47 million in private sector investment.

The U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperation Program supports joint U.S.-Israel research and development in energy efficiency and alternative power, including biofuels, energy storage, new solar and wind projects, electric vehicles, and increased grid efficiency.

Last year, Congress established two new cooperative initiatives to leverage U.S.-Israel collaboration to address the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as enhance development cooperation in the areas of water resources, agriculture and energy storage between USAID and Israel in developing countries.

Innovative and cutting-edge technology is increasingly necessary to keep us all safe. The U.S.-Israel BIRD Homeland Security program facilitates cooperative projects between two-partner entities, one from the U.S. and one from Israel, and leverages government investments through partnerships with the academic and private sector to identify gaps in critical capabilities while building stronger connections between the U.S. and Israel.

Every year I lead a package of bipartisan letters to the Appropriations committee that continue and expand funding for cooperative bi-national COVID-related and health technologies research, U.S.-Israel cooperation to address sustainability challenges in the developing world, homeland security, agriculture, and energy research.

This year, my package of letters was signed by over 80 bipartisan Members of Congress.

Normalization of Israel’s Diplomatic Relations With Its Neighbors

Normalizing relations between Israel and its regional neighbors has been an enduring goal of the United States, and one I continue to work towards.

I am a cosponsor of the Israel Relations Normalization Act, which will create strategies to strengthen and expand peace and normalization agreements in the region, as well as monitor the emergence of laws that would hinder this critical goal.

I also continue to promote normalization efforts through my meetings with foreign dignitaries as a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. In November, I met with the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, and Ambassador Lalla Joumala.

We discussed the progress of Morocco-Israel diplomatic ties following Morocco’s agreement to normalize relations with Israel last year.

Specifically, we discussed Morocco’s commitment to enact the steps outlined in this agreement including their plans for opening an embassy in Israel and the recent start of direct flights.

Promoting Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education

Encouraging reconciliation and envisioning a path toward mutual acceptance among new generations of Palestinians and Israelis remains critical.

Unfortunately, Palestinian Authority textbooks stymie this goal by teaching children to accept violence, glorify terrorism, promote antisemitism, and reject peace.

Palestinian textbooks erase Israel from maps, refer to Israel only as “the enemy,” and ask children to sacrifice their lives to “liberate” all of the land between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea. One such example is a 5th grade textbook which encourages students to emulate Dalal al-Mughrabi, a convicted terrorist who perpetrated the 1978 Coastal Road massacre which killed 38 Israeli civilians - including 13 children.

That’s why I re-introduced my legislation, the Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act, which ensures the United States prioritizes ending the normalization of violence and antisemitism in Palestinian Authority school curriculums.

This legislation unanimously passed the Foreign Affairs Committee in the last Congress and will require the Secretary of State to submit annual reports reviewing the education material used by the Palestinian Authority.

I will always work for peace and against incitement.

-----------------------

I would like your input on how I can be most effective in strengthening the U.S.-Israel alliance. Please share your input with me at Brad.Sherman@mail.house.gov or you can reach us by phone at (202) 225-5911.

Office of Congressman Brad Sherman | BradSherman.house.gov

Candidate Events with DFI-Los Angeles

Sun, 31 Jul 2022 02:13:18 GMT

Democrats for Israel - Los Angeles turned out in support of Pilar Schiavo, who is running for the 40th Assembly District seat. Seen here at a Schiavo campaign canvass on 7/30/2022 are (from left to right) Schiavo, California Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon, Christy Smith Candidate for Congress in the 27th CD, DFI-LA President Gregg Solkovits, DFI-LA Vice President Michelle Elmer.

DFI-LA at Southern California Armenian Democrats Candidate Meet and Greet

Sat, 14 May 2022 22:02:02 GMT

DFI-LA president Gregg Solkovits, and board member Miran Kalaydjian were invited to Southern California Armenian Democrats (SCAD) 2022 Candidate Meet and Greet event on Friday, May 13, 2022.

With Araz Parseghian - SCAD President

With Armond Aghakhanian - Burbank Unified School District Board of Education President

With Bob Blumenfield

With Christy Smith - Congress District 27 candidate

With Daniel Hertzberg

With Elizabeth and Manuel Magpapian - SCAD Legal Advisor

With Kevin James - candidate for city attorney

With Paul Koretz

DFI-LA 2022 Primary Candidates Endorsements

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 03:39:49 GMT

DFI-Los Angeles Candidates Endorsements - November 2022

Bolded (with large photo) is 'Strong Support' | Rest of listed names are 'Support', unless noted as Neutral

------------------------------------------------
ASSEMBLY

AD 40
Pilar Schiavo - Support

AD 41
Chris Holden - Support

AD 42
Jacqui Irwin - Support

AD 43
Luz Rivas - Support

AD 44
Laura Friedman - Strong Support

AD 46
Jesse Gabriel (CA Legislative Jewish Caucus member) - Strong Support

AD 48
Blanca Rubio (CA Legislative Jewish Caucus member) - Strong Support

AD 51
Rick Chavez Zbur - Strong Support

Louis Abramson - Support

AD 52
Wendy Carillo - Support

AD 53
Freddie Rodriguez - Support

AD 54
Miguel Santiago - Support

AD 55
Isaac Bryan - Support

AD 56
Lisa Calderon - Support

AD 57
Reggie Jones-Sawyer - Support

AD 62
Anthony Rendon - Strong Support

AD 64
Blanca Pacheco - Support

AD 65
Mike Gipson - Support

AD 66
Al Muratsuchi - Support

AD 69
Josh Lowenthal - Strong Support

------------------------------------------------
STATE SENATE

SD 20
Caroline Menijvar - Support
Daniel Hertzberg - Support

SD 22
Susan Rubio (CA Legislative Jewish Caucus member) - Strong Support

SD 24
Ben Allen (CA Legislative Jewish Caucus member) - Strong Support

SD 26
Maria Elena Duranzo - Support

SD 32
Bob Archuleta - Support

------------------------------------------------
LOS ANGELES COUNTY

Seat 1 - Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Hilda Solis - Support

Seat 3 - Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Bob Hertzberg - Strong Support

Lindsay Horvath - Strong Support

Seat 5 - Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Janice Hahn - Support

Los Angeles County Accessor
Jeffery Prang - Support

Los Angeles County Sheriff
Robert Luna - Support

------------------------------------------------
CITY OF LOS ANGELES

Los Angeles Mayor
Karen Bass - strong support

Los Angeles City Attorney
Hydee Feinstein Soto - Support

Los Angeles City Controller
Paul Koretz - Strong Support

Seat 3 Los Angeles City Council
Bob Blumenfield - Strong Support

Seat 5 Los Angeles City Council Sam Yebri - Strong Support

Katy Young Yaroslavsky - Support

Seat 7 Los Angeles City Council
Monica Rodriguez - Support

Seat 13 Los Angeles City Council
Mitch O’Farrell - Strong Support

Hugo Soto-Martinez - Oppose

Seat 15 Los Angeles City Council
Tim McOsker - Support

Los Angeles Unified School Board, Seat 4
Nick Melvoin - Strong Support

Los Angeles Unified School Board, Seat 6
Kelly Gonez - Support

Los Angeles Community College District, Seat 4
Sara Hernandez - Support

------------------------------------------------
CITY OF LONG BEACH

Seat 3 Long Beach Community College District Board of Trustees
Sunny Zia - Strong Support

Mayor of Long Beach
Suzie Price - Support

------------------------------------------------
CONGRESSIONAL HOUSE DISTRICTS

CA-26 Congress
Julia Brownley - Support

CA-27 Congress
Christy Smith - Support

CA-28 Congress
Judy Chu - Support

CA-29 Congress
Tony Cardenas - Strong Support

CA-30 Congress
Adam Schiff - Strong Support

CA-31 Congress
Grace Napolitano - Support

CA-32 Congress
Brad Sherman - Strong Support

CA-34 Congress
Jimmy Gomez - Support

CA-35 Congress
Norma Torres - Support

CA-36 Congress
Ted Lieu - Strong Support

CA-37 Congress
Sydney Kamlager - Strong Support

Jan Perry - Strong Support

Sandra Mendoza - Support

CA-38 Congress
Linda Sanchez - Support

CA-42 Congress
Robert Garcia - Support

CA-43 Congress
Maxine Waters - Support

CA-44 Congress
Nanette Barragan - Strong Support

Idina Menzel, Ilana Glazer, Rachel Bloom Discuss anti-Semitism

Sat, 16 Apr 2022 17:47:25 GMT

Idina Menzel, Ilana Glazer, Rachel Bloom and several other Jewish celebs discuss antisemitism on YouTube show

In “Recipe for Change: Standing Up to Antisemitism,” a YouTube special released on Thursday 4/14/2022 a cohort of Jewish celebrities: Idina Menzel, Ilana Glazer, Rachel Bloom, Skylar Astin, Michael Twitty, Hannah Einbinder, Alex Edelman, Tommy Dorfman, Josh Peck, Hari Nef, and Michael Zegen discuss the current global rise of anti-Semitism.

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj-pWmsOIyQ

Article - https://www.jta.org/2022/04/14/culture/idina-menzel-ilana-glazer-rachel-bloom-and-several-other-jewish-celebs-discuss-antisemitism-on-youtube-show

Israel's Sheba Medical Center's Field Hospital in Ukraine

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 01:46:29 GMT

Tel Hashomer, also known as the Sheba Medical Center, in suburban Tel Aviv, has set up a field hospital in Ukraine. Israel's field hospital is the first foreign medical team to arrive and begin caring for hundreds of refugees each day. Medical volunteers are caring daily for long queues of people, many of them elderly.

The Los Angeles Jewish Journal has published a first person account - https://jewishjournal.com/my-turn/346691/what-israel-is-doing-in-ukraine

More pictures of Israel's field hospital in Ukraine were published in the Jerusalem Post - https://www.jpost.com/international/article-702315

US ‘very much appreciates’ Israeli mediation for Ukraine

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 03:15:33 GMT

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken thanked Israel for its ongoing efforts to help facilitate an end to Russia’s destructive war with Ukraine as he and his Israeli counterpart, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid. Blinken told Lapid that any initiative to try to halt the conflict would be welcome as long as it is consistent with US, NATO, and European principles and that Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected.

Read more about Israel's efforts for a diplomatic resolution: https://www.timesofisrael.com/blinken-tells-lapid-us-very-much-appreciates-israeli-mediation-in-ukraine

Israel Offers Supplies to Aid Lebanese Armed Forces Personnel

Thu, 03 Feb 2022 01:39:46 GMT

Israel Defense Minister Benny Gantz reported Israel has offered four times over the past year to provide emergency assistance to Lebanon and the Lebanese Armed Forces.

Gantz explained the Lebanese army is suffering from a shortage of basic supplies and has lost more than 5,000 soldiers that abandoned it recently.

Lebanon is dealing with an economic collapse, suffering and unemployment on a massive level, yet when Lebanon’s new Prime Minister Najib Mikati was sworn into office in September 2021, he said his government “will deal with anyone for the sake of Lebanon’s interest, with the exception of Israel, of course.”

Fortunately, this has not dissuaded Minister Gantz from repeatedly extending a neighborly arm of friendship and resource driven support, in hope that eventually the offer will be accepted and the rebuilding of the Good Fence relationship between the two countries can recommence.

Read more about Israel's repeated offers of support for Lebanon - https://www.timesofisrael.com/gantz-israel-offered-aid-to-lebanese-military-four-times-in-past-year/

US Proposal for Israel to Supply Gas to Lebanon, via Syria and Jordan

Sun, 16 Jan 2022 12:33:42 GMT

Lebanon is on the verge of collapse. With enlightened and innovative leadership by the US, Israel is offering itself as an ingredient to a solution, and this may even help reduce the destructive influence of Hezbollah and Iran in the region, while helping to begin the rehabilitation of a nation that is suffering so much.
More: https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-said-to-ink-secret-deal-to-supply-natural-gas-to-lebanon-via-jordan and https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220116-us-reportedly-allows-israel-to-supply-gas-to-lebanon-via-syria-and-jordan

Yair Lapid and Antiquities Chief Return 95 Ancient Relics to Egypt

Thu, 09 Dec 2021 10:37:37 GMT

Israeli foreign minister, Yair Lapid, offers goodwill gesture to his Egyptian counterpart after meeting with President Sissi, bringing stone tablets, papyrus, idols and other stolen artifacts back to Cairo.
More: https://www.timesofisrael.com/as-lapid-visits-israel-returns-to-egypt-95-stolen-relics-smuggled-into-israel

Israel Signs Deal Doubling Water Supply to Parched Jordan

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 11:36:13 GMT

Israel has become the world leader in desalination and having solved its own water crisis is now using that developed technology to aid its neighbors and solve the water crisis in the parched desert region that is the Middle East.

More: https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-signs-deal-doubling-water-supply-to-parched-jordan