NATIONAL SOLIDARITY RALLY FOR ISRAEL

April 15, 2002 – U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC

Background
Tens of thousands Americans, Jews and non-Jews alike, from Los Angeles to New York, from Maine to Florida came to Washington, DC today to express their solidarity with Israel and support for the war against global terrorism. Participants from almost all 50 states and Canada descended upon Washington on more than 1,200 buses (as far away as Texas, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, and Tennessee) and dozens of chartered flights (from Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, and Toronto) and many more thousands by train and automobile. Member organizations of the Conference of Presidents began planning the rally less than one week ago when the organizations agreed to call for a major national mobilization of American supporters of Israel to travel to Washington to show public support.

Sponsors
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, its 52 national member organizations and the United Jewish Communities (UJC) representing 189 federations across North America along with other groups sponsored the rally. The Conference of Presidents is the central coordinating body representing 52 national Jewish organizations on issues of national and international concern. United Jewish Communities (UJC) represents 189 Jewish Federations and 400 independent Jewish communities across North America.  UJC provides life-saving and life-enhancing humanitarian assistance to those in need in North America, Israel and 60 countries around the world.

Keynote Speakers
Speakers included U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, representing President Bush; former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani; Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel; Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Rabbi Michael Melchior; Israel’s minister of housing, Natan Sharansky; family members of Kobi Mandel, a 14 year old victim of Palestinian terror; and Mark Sokolow, a survivor of both the World Trade Center attack and a Jerusalem suicide bomber. Speakers included congressional leadership and the chaplains of both the House and Senate. The rally was also attended by dozens of Members of Congress from both parties. A full list of speakers can be found on the back of this page.

Statements
“So many thousands of concerned individuals from across America are joining to show support for Israel and its right to defend its citizens in the wake of more than 12,5000 Palestinian terrorist attacks over the past year and a half,” said Conference Chairman Mortimer B. Zuckerman and Executive Vice Chairman Malcolm Hoenlein. “At a time when the American people are described as apathetic and indifferent, they are coming together in a collective statement of conscience. Both the participants in the program and those in attendance reflect the broad spectrum of American life in its fullest diversity and unity.”

“The people of Israel saw today that we stand with them at this difficult time when so many have been victims of terrorist outrages including scores of suicide bombings. Jews and non-Jews who care about Israel and the global fight against terrorism stood together in Washington and let their voices be heard – Our message, ‘We stand with Israel,’” said United Jewish Communities Chairman James Tisch.

Media Cont acts
Rabinowitz Media (202) 265-3000
Matt Dorf (202) 669-6553 (c) or Steve Rabinowitz (202) 494-7655 (c)
Haina Just (917) 572-6654 (c) Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
Gail Hyman (917) 359-3833 (c) United Jewish Communities

Photos and Websites
Photos and web-cast of the rally are available online at www.israelrally.org. Additional information is also available online at www.ujc.org and www.jccalendar.org

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Speaker List

National Solidarity Rally with Israel

Monday, April 15, 2002

Dr. Lloyd John Ogilvie, Chaplain of the United States Senate
Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin, Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives
Mortimer Zuckerman, Chairman, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
Dudu Fisher, Broadway Performer
Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb, Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
Richard Gephardt (D-MO), House Minority Leader
Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), Assistant Majority Leader
Janet Parshall, radio talk show host
Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy US Secretary of Defense
Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Dean of Women Senators
William J. Bennett, Distinguished Fellow, Heritage Foundation; Chairman, Americans for Victory over
Terrorism.
Rudolph Giuliani, Former Mayor of New York
Richard Armey (R-TX), House Majority Leader
Rabbi Perry Rank, Vice President Rabbinical Assembly
Natan Sharansky, Israel’s Minister of Housing
John Sweeney, President, AFL-CIO
Hugh Price, President, National Urban League
Mark Sokolow, World Trade Center and Jerusalem Bombing Victim
Elie Wiesel, Nobel Laureate
Rabbi Michael Melchior, Israel’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Governor George Pataki, (R-NY)
Benjamin Netanyahu, Former Prime Minister of Israel
Rabbi Hershel Billet, President, Rabbinical Council of America
Rabbi David Saperstein, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
Rabbi Paul Menitoff, Executive Vice President, Central Conference of American Rabbis
Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA)
Mira Cogen, Chair, Columbia Student Coalition for Israel
Reuven Brand, Student, Yeshiva University, Participant in January 2000 Operation Torah Shield Mission to Israel
Seth Mandel, Father of Palestinian terror victim Kobi Mandel
Sharon Evans, Mother of terror victim Monique Evans

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Mortimer B Zuckerman, Chairman
Malcolm I. Hoenlein Executive Vice Chairman

Haina Just, Dir. Press Relations - 917-572-6654

MEDIA ADVISORY
Rabinowitz Media, (202) 265-3000
Matt Dorf, (202) 669-6553 (c)
Steve Rabinowitz, (202) 494-7655 (c)

THOUSANDS TO RALLY FOR ISRAEL AT U.S. CAPITOL MONDAY AFTERNOON

WASHINGTON, DC April 11, 2002 - Thousands of Americans from across the country will rally in Washington, DC, Monday, April 15, 2002, to express their solidarity with Israel and support for the war against global terrorism. The "National Solidarity Rally for Israel" will be held on the West front of the United States Capitol building at 1:00 p.m. Hundreds of buses of supporters from more than 15 states (including Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Wisconsin and North Carolina) and many others as far as  California are among those already confirmed for the rally. The rally is open to the press and coverage is invited.

Bipartisan Congressional leaders, former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, Christian and Moslem religious leaders, and representatives of major American Jewish organizations, representing all parts of the country, are among those who will speak at the rally.

"The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, its 52 member organizations, the united Jewish community, other major national groups, and thousands of concerned individuals from across America are joining to show support for Israel in defense of its citizens in the wake of Palestinian terrorist attacks over the past year and a half," said Conference Chairman, Mortimer B. Zuckerman and Executive Vice Chairman, Malcolm Hoenlein. "We want to show the people of Israel that we stand with them at this difficult time when so many have been victims of terrorist outrages including scores of suicide bombings and attacks which in the month of March alone took more than 100 lives."

The thousands of Jewish and non-Jewish friends of Israel who will be gathering in the nation's capital will also show support for the war against global terrorism being led by President George W. Bush. America and Israel are engaged in a common critical struggle against those who are responsible for inciting, supporting and harboring terrorists who are responsible for atrocities like the September 11 attacks and the Passover Massacre.

Organizers began planning the rally less than one week ago when the Conference agreed to call for a major national mobilization of American supporters of Israel to travel to Washington to show public support.

WHAT:   National Rally for Israel

WHEN:  Monday, April 15, 2002
            1:00 p.m. (press set-up: 12:00 p.m.)

WHERE: West front of the U.S. Capitol
            Washington, DC

MEDIA:  Press credentials are required.
            Two-tiered media riser and cut-away media riser.
           
            On-site sound feed (mult.) available.
            Parking only available for microwave/satellite trucks.

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The Conference of Presidents is the central coordinating body representing 52 national Jewish organizations on issues of national and international concern.

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A MESSAGE TO SECRETARY OF STATE, POWELL
By Yoram Ettinger, Jerusalem April 13, 2002

1. SHOULD THE U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE MEET WITH A COUNTERFEITER, arch-terrorist, murderer of US Ambassadors, systematic violator of commitments, abuser of human rights, oppressor of Christians, corrupt ally of Saddam and Iran and the role model of inter-Arab treachery?!

2. A REPEAT OF THE 1991 BLUNDER? The US ended the 1991 Gulf War prematurely, allowing Saddam to emerge in 2002 as an almost-nuclear power.  As a result, Saddam threatens the national security of the US in a way which could dwarf 9/11, requiring another costly war to eliminate the threat.  Forcing Israel to abort its war on the joint PLO/Hamas production-line of Human Missiles (suicidal bombers), would instantly transform Human Missiles into a global plague, aimed primarily at the "Great Satan," the US.  It would fuel global terrorism, toppling regimes in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the UAE.  Mideast instability is fed by Israel's vulnerability, and is minimized by Israel's potent deterrence.

3. DON'T BLAME ISRAEL FOR COLLATERAL DAMAGE! Secretary Rumsfeld: "Let there be no doubt; responsibility for every single casualty in this war, be they innocent Afghans or innocent Americans, rests at the feet of the Taliban and Al-Qaida.  Their leadership are the ones that are hiding in mosques and using Afghan civilians as human shields by placing their armor and artillery in close proximity to civilians, schools, hospitals, and the like. When the Taliban issues accusations of civilian casualties, they indict themselves...We did not seek this war; it was thrust upon us. It is a matter of self-defense (Oct. 29, 2001)." The US handled collateral damage in Somalia (1993), Panama (1989) and Libya (1986) in a similar - justifiable - manner.

4. THE USA DEMOLISHED AFGHANISTAN WITHIN WEEKS OF 9/11.  ISRAEL ABSORBED 8.5 YEARS OF UNPRECEDENTED TERROR BEFORE LAUNCHING WAR ON PLO/HAMAS TERRORISM. No moral symmetry should be drawn between the 750 Israelis who were deliberately murdered by Palestinian terrorists since the Oslo Accord was signed (equal to 37,500 Americans, 13 times 9/11!) and the innocent Human-Shield Palestinians, who were killed unintentionally by Israel.

5. THE CURRENT WAVE OF PALESTINIAN TERRORISM DOESN'T STEM FROM DESPAIR AND THE LACK OF A POLITICAL PROCESS.  It stems from the tragically flawed Oslo-Wye-Mitchell-Tenet-Zini process and its "flag ship", the PLO. The process has eroded Israel's posture of deterrence, has legitimized the most radical and treacherous Palestinian element, inflaming Palestinian hopes for Israel's disintegration. A departure from the Oslo Process, restoring Israel's power of deterrence and obliterating false Palestinian hopes, are the prerequisites for the defeat of terrorism. The last 8.5 years have proven that there is no political solution to Palestinian terrorism. In fact, the dismantling of the terrorist infrastructure (not just Arafat) will pave the road to a political solution.

6. THAT WHICH HAS HAUNTED THE USA SINCE 9/11, HAS PLAGUED ISRAEL SINCE 1948. The US is battling Afghani and Iraqi terrorism, located 7,000 miles away and threatening the personal safety of Americans.  Israel is combating Palestinian terrorism, located at its own backyard, threatening Israel's very existence.

7. MEETINGS WITH ARAFAT - JUST LIKE MEETINGS WITH BIN LADEN OR MULLAH OMAR - EMBOLDEN the proliferators of Human Missiles, causing a setback to the US war on terrorism. The PLO/PA/Arafat - just like the Taliban and Al Qaida - are not partners to the solution; they are the core of the problem.  They are not partners for peace; they are the enemies of peace.  Zini's and Powell's visits have triggered escalation of Palestinian violence, since mollifying terrorists breeds more violence.

8. THE AIM OF SECRETARY POWELL SHOULD NOT BE A CEASE-FIRE. Just like in Afghanistan, the aim should be the eradication of the political, financial and operational infrastructure, which fuels the fire of terrorism.

9. NO COMPROMISE, NOR INCONSISTENCY, WITH TERRORISM.  No grievance justifies terrorism (the deliberate and systematic maiming and killing of civilians). The US cannot be vigilant against Afghani terrorism, but wavering on Palestinian terrorism. In the battle against terrorism, the US should not be neutral between Israel, the sole soul Mideast ally of the US, and the corrupt and repressive PLO, the role-model of global terrorism and violation of commitments, the ally of Saddam, Iran, Sudan, N. Korea and the oppressor of Christians. No distinction should be made between terrorists and those who harbor them. The PLO harbors Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Al-Aqsa Brigades.

============================= The Big Lies ============================

"The truth may not always win, but it is always right"
Eli E. Hertz
September 3, 2002, "Myths and Facts"

Lies and Disinformation as a Palestinian Weapon
prepared by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)
April 10, 2002

The Palestinian use of lies and disinformation has been well known for many years but, in recent days it has reached new heights, the likes of which we have not seen before. The false reports published in the Palestinian media, or from time to time by their spokespeople in the international media, have a double purpose: on the one hand, to delegitimize Israel and, on the other hand, to distract world attention from the Palestinian Authority's deep involvement in terrorism.

The Palestinian collection of lies is particularly disturbing in light of the well-known phenomenon that when a lie is repeated often enough it becomes the truth, even if it has no basis. Even more disturbing is the willingness of the international media to serve as the instrument for publicizing the Palestinian claims, without checking their veracity and knowing that in many cases they are without foundation. The denials, if they are published later, receive much less publicity; by then, the damage has been done.

Below are a few examples of fabrications disseminated by the Palestinians:

1. One of the most popular themes, arising from the restrictions placed on Arafat, is the fear for the life of the president. On March 31, Yasser Abed Rabo said, in an interview to the Al Jazeera television station, that a warning was received that the IDF would enter the compound in Ramallah, and that this step was planned by Sharon with the intent to kill Yasser Arafat. The same day, Hassan Asfor said to BBC radio that the IDF had broken into Arafat's offices and that the situation was dangerous, "on the brink of disaster". Also on the same day, Saeb Erekat said on Egyptian television that he was unable to make contact with Arafat and that he feared for his life. Erekat repeated this in an interview he gave to CNN on April 6.

These fears were all proven to be unfounded.

2. Jibril Rajoub (March 30, on MAHAD TV, a local television station in Ramallah) accused Israel of carrying out a "massacre," executing 30 Palestinians in Ramallah. The announcement was also broadcast on Al Jazeera and other stations.

The reality, of course, is different: in battles which took place on that day in Ramallah, 9 Palestinians were killed - all of them armed.

3. Palestinian television reported on April 2, on the basis of an official announcement by the Palestinian leadership, that a priest named Jacques Amathis had been killed and dozens of monks wounded in an IDF action in Bethlehem. The announcement was published prominently in the Italian and French media and prompted a storm of protest.

The following day the 'late" priest was interviewed by the MINSA agency and confirmed that he and the monks in the monastery were safe and well.

4. Arafat, in an interview to Al Jazeera television on April 3, claimed that Israel had "burned the mosque" opposite Santa Maria Church in Bethlehem and "destroyed many churches and mosques." He called upon the Christian and Muslim world to take action. MAHAD TV reported that a fire had broken out in the Omar el-Hatib Mosque in Bethlehem and that the IDF was preventing the fire brigade from reaching the site to extinguish the flames.

None of these charges has any factual basis.

5. The WAFA (Palestinian News Agency) Internet site reported on April 2 that the IDF had shelled the new mosque in Tulkarm after the muezzin called people to noon prayers.

In fact, no such incident took place.

6. Jibril Rajoub claimed, in an interview with Syrian television network ANN on March 30, that the only people in the compound of the Preventive Security Services in Betouniya were people working for the service, women and civilians, and that there were no wanted terrorists there.

The truth, of course, is somewhat different. On April 2, a number of wanted terrorists were captured in the building, including senior members of Hamas involved in many terrorist activities.

7. On the WAFA Internet site, it was reported on April 2 by the Palestinian Minister of Health, Riyad Al Zanoun, that the IDF had taken control of five Palestinian ambulances in Ramallah, forced their teams to strip, and taken them to an unknown site, in order to prevent them from treating the wounded.

In reality, ever since an explosive belt was discovered in a Palestinian ambulance underneath a stretcher on which a small child was lying (end of March, at the A-Ram check post), the IDF has been forced to act with extreme caution.

A similar charge, incidentally, was made on April 5 by Al Kuds newspaper, which reported that a Red Crescent ambulance was seized in El Bireh, and that IDF soldiers attacked its driver and the paramedics traveling with him.

No such incident has ever taken place.

8. In an interview with Abu Dhabi television on March 29, Arafat claimed that "there was also that incident in Hebron, that insolent and criminal incident; they even attacked and killed in the Hebron area three members of the international force: two from Turkey and one of the nurses from Switzerland."

In fact, in the incident in question, one of the Turkish members of the force was rescued, and he said, in a radio interview, that the attack was carried out by an uniformed Palestinian.

9. The Al Kuds newspaper reported on April 4 that the IDF refused to permit a patient to be transferred by ambulance from the clinic in the Greek Orthodox Monastery in Beit Sahour to hospital in Beit Jala.

In fact, no such incident took place.

10. The WAFA agency reported on April 5 that the IDF shelled the Um Nasser neighborhood, the Al Udeh towers and the residential areas near the Salah a Din road in the northern Gaza Strip.

The reality was somewhat different - the mortar shells were fired by the Palestinians themselves, but landed in their own territory.

11. The Al Kuds newspaper reported on April 5 that the prisoners in Ofer Camp, near Givat Ze'ev, undergo torture, including breaking their fingers.

This allegation too has no basis.

12. The WAFA news agency reported on April 6 that a person named Ali Mustafa Abu Razek, aged 30, was shot and killed by the IDF close to the Sufa Crossing.

In fact, Abu Razek was a terrorist who was trying to place an explosive device and was blown up together with the device.

13. At the beginning of the events, IDF soldiers were accused of broadcasting pornographic films on Al Watan television in Ramallah.

This claim was thoroughly investigated by the IDF and found to be baseless.

14. On April 5 Nabil Sha'ath claimed in the Saudi 'Okaz' that Israel had forged the document seized from Arafat's office in Ramallah indicating that the Palestinian Authority was funding the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigade.

The document is of course authentic, and in the meantime other documents have been found indicating the involvement of the Palestinian Authority and of Arafat in terrorism and in its funding.

These are just a few examples of the uncontrolled Palestinian disinformation campaign being waged also in the leading world media networks. This campaign creates a picture of Israel as a cruel and inhumane country, which damages holy sites, persecutes first aid agencies in contravention of the Geneva Convention and so on. The reality is different. The ones who are harming innocent civilians are the Palestinians terrorists. The ones who are desecrating holy sites, and not for the first time, are the Palestinians. The ones who are violating the Geneva Convention and using ambulances and hospitals for other than their real purpose - are the Palestinians.

A propos the use of ambulances, there is a famous picture from Bethlehem showing a tank moving aside two ambulances blocking its path. For some reason, no one gave a thought to this use of these ambulances as a barricade - not one of the natural and protected uses of ambulances.

We are publishing these things because we suspect that the Palestinians will claim that a massacre took place in the Jenin refugee camp, in view of the heavy losses that they sustained in the bloody battles that were fought there. The Palestinians are preparing the ground for such a claim. On April 6, they published an urgent call to the international community to intervene immediately in order to save the lives of the residents of the refugee camp, because the camp was under merciless attack and "there are dozens of dead and injured, a situation which could reach the scale of a new Sabra and Shatilla massacre." They do not allow bodies to be evacuated from the site so as to intensify the effect, and the only thing left for us to do is to be prepared and to reject any attempt to draw such a comparison. This is particularly important against the background of the item by Al Jazeera reporter Walid Alamari, who announced on April 8 that, according to information coming from the Jenin refugee camp, all the resistors and fighters are wearing explosive belts. If this is the case, then we are talking about a bloody battle and not a massacre. But the associations that the Palestinians are trying to arouse are stronger than the facts.