6 COMMUNITY NEWS AZM’s Washington Forum Promotes Bipartisan Support for Israel and Zionism By Kol HaBirah Staff 70th anniversary year, there must be a renewal of the historic broad and bipar- Jewish Republicans and Democrats tisan U.S.'s support for Israel,” he said. united for a day of bipartisan support for AZM presented its AZM 2018 Distin- Israel and Zionism at the Washington Fo- guished Leadership awards to the bipar- rum of the American Zionist Movement tisan current and future chairs of House (AZM), held at the U.S. Capitol Dec. 12. Foreign Affairs Committee — Rep. Ed Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Royce (R-CA), Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), Schumer (D-NY) and Rep. Lee M. Zeldin and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL). Oth- (R-NY) delivered keynote remarks, and er Congressional speakers included Rep. the program featured the first-ever joint (D-FL), Rep. Josh Gottheimer appearance by officials of the Republican (D-NJ), Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), and Rep. Jewish Coalition (RJC) and Jewish Demo- (D-FL), im- cratic Council of America (JDCA). Jason D. mediate past chair of the Democratic Na- Greenblatt, assistant to the president and tional Committee. special representative for internation- For the parties, Halie Soifer, execu- al negotiations at the White House, and tive director of JDCA, and Noah Silver- Daniel B. Shapiro, U.S. ambassador to Is- man, congressional affairs director of rael under President Obama, presented RJC, presented together. There was a bipartisan diplomatic updates. From left to right: AZM President Richard D. Heideman with Noah Silverman, panel discussion of “U.S. Zionist Organ- The American Zionist Movement Congressional Affairs Director, Republican Jewish Coalition; Halie Soifer, Executive izations Across the Spectrum” that fea- comprises 29 national organizations and Director, Jewish Democratic Council of America; and Herbert Block, AZM Executive tured Karen Paikan Barall (Hadassah), works across a broad ideological, politi- Director. (PHOTO CREDIT: RON SACHS) Kenneth Bob (Ameinu), and Morton cal, and religious spectrum with the goal Klein (ZOA). Legislation regarding Israel of linking the American Jewish commu- “Broad support for the State of Isra- ican Zionist Movement. We gathered and antisemitism was addressed by Mar- nity together in support of Israel, Zion- el is a central tenet of the Zionism For- together in the Capitol after the mid- vin Feuer, AIPAC director of policy and ism, and the Jewish people. ward campaign launched by the Amer- term elections, and just prior to the new government affairs; Eric Fusfield, dep- Congress, so our elected officials and uty director of B’nai B’rith Internation- community leaders could address how al; Sarah Stern, founder and president we can unite across party and political of EMET; and Eric Gallagher, Washing- lines in support of Israel, whose exist- ton representative of the Claims Con- ence continues to be threatened by her ference/WJRO. Andrew Borans, CEO enemies,” said AZM President Richard D. of AEPi led a concluding dialogue on Heideman and AZM Executive Director achieving “Zero Tolerance Against Anti- Herbert Block. semitism and Anti-Zionism” in commu- “Now more than ever, and in Israel’s nities and on campus.

From left to right: AZM President Richard D. Heideman, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R – FL), and Rep. Ted Deutch (D – FL). (PHOTO CREDIT: RON SACHS) 6 December 20, 2018 • 12 Tevet 5779 WWW.KOLHABIRAH.COM 6