Michigan legislators visit a
Christian holy site near the
Jordan Rim: Pictured are
State Sen. Bill Hardinhin, on
top - gai•; State Rep. Roger
Kahn, on step below; State
Reps. DaVid Far hat and
ChrislWzrd; DennisBernard,
a CO111171 41714 activist from
Birmingham; and State Rep.
Scott HuMel,
M

-

Making The Connection

Legislators see firsthand Israel's fight for survival in the Mideast.

ERIC ADELMAN
Special to the Jewish News

Jerusalem
s eight members of the
Michigan Legislature walked
around the hilly campus of
the Hebrew University in Jerusalem,
they remarked how picturesque and
peaceful the campus appeared. They
made comparisons to their alma
maters, gazed at everyday students
walking around the campus and took
pictures of the scenic view of the
Judean hills.
Before leaving the campus to con-
tinue, their mood took on a more
somber tone upon pausing at a

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9/22

2005

36

memorial to those murdered by
Palestinian terrorists at the Frank
Sinatra cafeteria, where they learned
that one of the victims, Marla
Bennett, had been my dear friend.
The tears in their eyes clearly
demonstrated that they now under-
stood the human toll and the unique
and precarious position Israel occu-
pies as it struggles against terror and
fights for survival.
The scene was one of the many
moving and important moments that
took place on the Michigan Legisla-
tors Mission to Israel, a six-day trip
organized by the Jewish Community
Council of Metropolitan Detroit.
The unique itinerary focused on

forging stronger economic ties
between Michigan and Israel, learn-
ing about Israel's homeland security
and anti-terror initiatives, and dis-
covering Israel's history, culture and
politics.
By any measure, this trip was a
great success. The legislators received
an education about issues facing
Israel that they could never have
learned from the local news, CNN
or Fox. Among the many trip high-
lights was a helicopter ride along the
"Green Line" to demonstrate Israel's
geographic vulnerability and the
need for the security barrier. Seeing
firsthand the close proximity
between Israeli cities like Netanya

and Kfar Saba to Palestinian towns
such as Qalqiliya and Tul Karm rein-
forced the need for defensive security
measures such as the barrier.
The group met with a member of
Knesset, mayors of Israeli cities in
the Jewish Federation's Partnership
2000 region, officials from the Bank
of Israel and the deputy director of
the American Embassy. A presenta-
tion from Itamar Marcus of the
Palestinian Media Watch detailed the
incitement to violence in official
Palestinian textbooks, television and
other media as well as the reports of
glorification of violence and gleeful
comparisons between 9-11 and sui-
cide bombings in Israel.