Middle East
“We are all the sons of Abraham; we must sit to make peace, to exist together and make a better future together for the next generation,” said Morocco’s Ambassador to the United Nations Omar Hilale.
A senior adviser to the leader of a large Muslim-majority country with no diplomatic ties to Israel heads a delegation that meets with Israeli counterparts in Tel Aviv.
“Who would have believed that peace would come to our home in such a glorious way? It is a Hanukkah miracle,” says Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch.
“With the potential paradigm shift taking place in the Middle East, it is imperative for our children to be able to communicate and engage with Arabs in Israel and neighbors in the region,” said Michal Cotler-Wunsh of the Blue and White Party.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin welcomes a delegation of leaders and activists from Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.
“Morocco is a door-opener to the Arab world and Africa, and what we did quietly before we can do publicly with them now,” says Danny Danon, who recently completed a five-year stint as Israel’s ambassador to the U.N.
O’Brien awards Israeli counterpart Meir Ben-Shabbat the U.S. Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, the highest honorary award given to non-U.S. citizens.
“I am moved that my daughter will be experiencing a true Hanukkah here,” says a Talmud Torah parent. “For her to be able to grow up in the desert with such Jewish pride is a modern-day miracle.”
The gathering also marked the launch of an international center in Jerusalem that will chronicle the history and culture of Jews in the region.
“My advice on negotiating with Iran is to recognize that the United States has the upper hand. Recognize that the regime in Tehran is facing serious pressures,” the U.S. Special Representative for Iran tells JNS, in large part due to the “maximum pressure” campaign the Trump administration has applied for the last few years.
The goal is to “encourage organizations, notably stemming from Israel’s civil society sector, to tell the ‘Israeli story’ to diverse global audiences utilizing social media.”
“A vision has been set by the leaders of these countries,” said United Arab Emirates Ambassador to the United States Yousef Al Otaiba.
