World Beyond Today Jerusalem/JTA A crush of world leaders and their security details mixed with Buddhist monks, rabbis, novel- ists and Internet entrepreneurs at Israel's splashy 60th anniversary celebration hosted by President Shimon Peres. Franklin's Jane Sherman, co-chair of the Jewish Agency for Israel's Israeli Committee and a member of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit's Board of Governors, represented Detroit Jewry. The preponderance of so many dignitar- ies and top thinkers — Jewish and non- Jewish —under one roof in Jerusalem was part of Israeli President Shimon Peres' vision for his conference. It was meant to bring together people of influence and know-how for serious discussion and reflection about how best to approach the world's most pressing problems, particularly those of the Jewish world and Israel. "It was a tribute to the State of Israel and to Shimon Peres that all these people thought it was important enough to go there and discuss everything from economics, to ecology to peace to Jewish philanthropy," Sherman said. It's about "generating new ideas at a time when the world faces the paradoxes of both opportunity and profound threats' said Dennis Ross, a former U.S. Middle East envoy and the founding president of the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute, the think tank that organized the conference. The Jewish Agency for Israel launched the Institute. "People from all walks of life have come Pool Photo/BPH Imag es Detroiter elated by vision for tomorrow demonstrated at Peres' President's Conference. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert with President Bush at Masada in Israel on May 14 here and enriched our curiosity and knowl- edge,' Peres said to the conference. Jane Sherman called Facing Tomorrow "a real learning experience and the single most exciting conference I have ever been to in the last 50 years." "It was thrilling to be part of it," said Sherman, who has a special interest in serv- ing children at risk and also philanthropic endeavors. She felt international relationship building was the biggest benefit. "Whether the discussion was about a greener Israel or a greener China' she said, "countries can now begin to work together. Other countries saw that Israel has some expertise, as do they. So it's now all about nurturing relationships, whether it's busi- ness, charity or the environment. Answering Israel's Critics The Charge Since the outbreak of Palestinian violence in 2000, Israelis have lost their taste for peacemaking. The Answer While there is bitterness in Israel from the suicide bombings, it is the Palestinians that continue to inculcate intolerance in their society. Palestinian schools and news media are studded with anti-Israel misinformation, manipulation, omission of key facts, oversimplification of complex issues, historical inaccuracy and lack of context. Allan Gale, Jewish Community Relations Council of Metropolitan Detroit (c) Jewish Renaissance Media, June 5, 2008 A24 June 5 • 2008 "It's all about how we can better world." The celebration in Jerusalem included a showy tribute to the U.S.-Israel relation- ship featuring songs, effusive speeches and standing ovations for guest of honor President Bush. The potential threat of a nuclear Iran was among debate points of the Peres confer- ence. Speakers said Iran's nuclear drive should be approached as a global problem, not just a problem for Israel. Peres' gala was preceded by a pre-con- ference summit of 120 top minds of the Jewish world. Academics, former statesmen and others mapped out coherent strategies to challenges such as confronting radical Islam and keeping young Jews in the fold. The discussions were the continuation of a similar effort held last year by the Planning Institute. The summit issued several rec- ommendations, including the creation of a Jewish youth service corps modeled after the Peace Corps, a Jewish leadership academy in Jerusalem and the establishment of a secretariat to implement key issues of Jewish communal consensus. The Peres conference attempted to showcase the best of Israel, with Israeli technology companies on display boasting inventions from algae-produced bio-fuel to insulin in a pill. Israel's accomplishments in science and technology are among Peres' favorite topics. "I can tell all of you," Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said, addressing the Facing Tomorrow conference the day before Bush's Knesset speech,"that President George Bush is a great leader, is a great friend, is a source of inspiration, and we are very proud that we can celebrate the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel with you and your wife here in our capital, Jerusalem:' Sitting next to Bush and Olmert was U.S. billionaire and casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, who covered half the $6 million bill for Peres' conference. Adelson was among those interviewed by Israeli police in the investigation of whether Olmert took money illegally from American Jewish supporters while he was mayor of Jerusalem and later the minister of industry, trade and labor. Adelson called Bush "the most supportive U.S. president in Israel's 60-year existence' At the Knesset May 16, Bush described a halcyon vision of peace for the region but was short on the details of how to get there, specifically sidestepping any discussion of negotiations with the Palestinians: "Israel will be celebrating its 120th anni- versary as one of the world's great democra- cies, a secure and flourishing homeland for the Jewish people. The Palestinian people will have the homeland they have long dreamed of and deserved — a democratic state that is governed by law, respects human rights and rejects terror." ❑ JCRC Hosts Opinion Maker Nolan Finley, editorial page editor of the Detroit News, will discuss "An Editorial Look at the Middle Nolan Finley East and Other News that Matters to Detroiters" at the Jewish Community Relations Council's annual meeting 7:15 p.m. Thursday, June 12, at the Max M. Fisher Building in Bloomfield Township. Following Finley's presentation, Council will conduct its election of officers and board of directors. Todd Mendel has been nominated to serve his second year as Council president. Vice-presidential candidates are Beth Applebaum, Richard Nodel and Judy Rosenberg. Jeanne Maxbauer is nominated as secretary and Linda Finkel as treasurer. Reservations are requested. For more information, contact the Council office, (248) 642-5393.