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.