4 | APRIL 11 • 2024
J
N
essay
Winning Hearts and
Minds for Israel
I
srael’s Hasbarah outreach
campaign got a big
boost in Metro Detroit
recently at the 19th annual
Schoolcraft
Community
College
Multicultural
Fair. Some 1,500
students and
area residents
came to the
Schoolcraft
campus in
Livonia to
explore the
cultures,
traditions
and histories
of dozens of
countries that
were represented at the
event.
Israel’s booths drew
hundreds of people to learn
more about Israel than
what is blasted across the
headlines and news footage,
often portraying Israel in
an unfavorable light. The
initiative to represent Israel
at the event was undertaken
by a group of local grassroots
activists who pulled the
effort together in less than
two weeks when they learned
of the many nations and
organizations to be featured
at the fair, including Turkey,
Greece, Albania, India,
Mexico, Ghana and Arab
countries.
We spearheaded the effort
and also enlisted the help of
area Israel advocates Rachel
Baker, Malka Littman,
Rachel Baker, Sheldon
Freilich, Ed Kohl, Kobi
Erez and Sue Kahn. The
group was made up of many
longtime supporters of Walk
for Israel, StandWithUs,
ZOA, Volunteers for Israel
and Friends of Israel Gospel
Ministry.
Prominently featured
at the Israel booths were
brochures and handouts
such as SWU’s Israel Pocket
Facts and 3,000 Year History
of Israel. Over 200 Israel
tabletop flags were passed
out along with an offering of
popular grab-and-go Israeli
cuisine, which was a big hit.
A second booth
highlighting organizations
supporting Israel was
manned by Tim Munger.
Most of the exchanges
with event guests were
overwhelmingly positive
and impactful. “It was a
wonderful experience,”
Munger said. “The
conversations were very
positive; there were
no confrontational or
unpleasant exchanges. It
was a great opportunity for
education.”
He recalled that one
“big, burly young man”
approached his table. The
man introduced himself
as a U.S. military vet and
expressed great admiration
for the nation of Israel and
gratitude to Munger for
representing Israel at the
multicultural fair. “He said, ‘I
stand with Israel and I’m so
glad you are here!’”
That sentiment was echoed
by many other fair-goers.
Many of the visitors had
no idea that Israel is such a
small country and instead,
based on often-skewed
media reports, believed it to
be a military and geographic
behemoth. A Pakistani
student shared how he was
brought up to hate Israel,
and how he decided to learn
for himself more about
Israel. Based on his research,
he has totally changed course
and now describes himself as
an ardent Israel supporter.
Several pro-Palestinian
supporters also engaged in
civil discourse and debate
about the present situation in
Gaza with the group. In one
wide-ranging conversation,
an Arab American argued
that Israel had no legitimacy
and was responsible for the
“nakba.” He also insisted
that Israel implement an
immediate ceasefire. This
resulted in a discussion of
the region going back to
1900 and the British and
French map drawers, the
1948 attack by the Arab
countries to destroy Israel
at its founding and again in
1967, etc.
Gaza was discussed and
how Hamas turned it into
an armed enclave from
which ongoing attacks were
launched after Israel gave
the Arab population full
Andre
Douville
Dr. Euge
Greenstein
The Israeli boosters who rallied to create a booth for the Schoolcraft
College Multicultural Fair.
PURELY COMMENTARY
continued on page 6
The booths
attracted
many visitors.