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Danny Seaman, direc-
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Office, speaks to Metro
Detroit mission members in
Jerusalem.

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'Show Of Support'

Mission

Diplomacy, sightseeing mark Bush's visit.

The Jewish Women's Foundation of Metropolitan Detroit is
a grant making and educational organization dedicated to
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Foundation empowers women as philanthropists, decision-
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G

eorge W. Bush's first trip to
Israel as president Jan.9-11
coincided from Day One
with a mission sponsored by the
Jewish Community Relations Council
of Metropolitan Detroit and the
Redford-based Fellowship of Israel
and Black Americans.
The group crossed paths at Ben
Gurion International Airport in Tel
Aviv and then again at the Sea of
Galilee, causing delays and detours
for the 27 Metro
Detroiters on the
mission. Though
they never glimpsed
the president, the
group witnessed
heightened security
measures as they
were
forced to take
JCRC leader
a
less-direct
route
Todd Mendel
north to the Golan
Heights on Jan. 10.
Israeli state police
cars were stationed at major junctions,
ready to close roads in the region; and
snipers readied themselves on strate-
gic rooftops.
Bush, a born-again Christian — in
sync with the 13 black evangelicals on
the mission — felt it was important
to visit the sites frequented by Jesus,
who spread his teachings along the
shores of the lake the Israelis call the
Kinneret.
In his whirlwind tour of Israel, how-
ever, Bush had little time for sightsee-
ing. Diplomacy occupied most of his
time.
"He said a lot of things Jews want to
hear — about security and the criti-

cal importance of Israel: said Todd
Mendel of Birmingham, JCRC presi-
dent."It was a good show of support
and warmth to Israel.
"If his presence can move the peace
process along, that's great. We'll see.
The parties have to do it on their
own!"
During his visit to Yad Vashem,
Israel's Holocaust museum, an emo-
tional Bush stated that the U.S. should
have bombed the railroad tracks to
Auschwitz during World War II.
"That shows his commitment to
Jewish survival:' Mendel said.
"That we kept crossing paths with
the president was an interesting thing
that personalized the visit for me. It
was good to be an American and feel
that Bush was well-received!"
Danny Seaman, director of the
Israel Press Office, spoke to the mis-
sion group in Jerusalem after Bush's
visit. While assisting the media, he was
around the president quite often dur-
ing his visit.
"He's really a sweet guy:' Seaman
said, noting that Bush cried at Yad
Vashem, spent time with children at
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's resi-
dence and also shmoozed with some
elderly women sitting backstage dur-
ing one of his appearances.
He said President Bush announced
plans to return in May for the 60th
anniversary of Israel's statehood.
"I hope we can reach some kind
of resolution between Israel and the
Palestinians by the end of the year:'
Seaman said.
Looking ahead to the November
presidential election, Seaman said,
"It's not a big problem who is elected.
There's a big bond between Israel and
the United States. It's based on shared
values and principles, and the U.S.
works on that." ❑