CIPAC Media News

Returning from Congressional recess, over 20 Members of Congress attended a pro-Israel gathering and awards ceremony on Capitol Hill. CIPAC (Christians’ Israel Public Action Campaign) launched a new wave of pro-Israel actions and presented 5 U.S. Representatives (Tom DeLay TX22-R, Eliot Engel NY17-D, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen FL18-R, Jim Saxton NJ3-R, and Anthony Weiner NY9-D) with CIPAC’s prestigious “Defender of Israel” award.

Over two dozen other Members of Congress received CIPAC’s coveted “Friend of Israel” award (Robert Aderholt AL4-R, Roy Blunt MO7-R, Michael Burgess TX26-R, Shelley Berkley NV1-D, Howard Berman CA28-D, Ben Cardin MD3-D, Steve Chabot OH1-R, William Clay, Jr. MO1-D, Jim Clayburn SC6-D, Howard Coble NC6-R, John Culberson TX7-R, Kay Granger TX12-R, Joel Hefley CO5-R, Dave Hobson OH7-R, Ernest Istook OK-R, Jach Kingston GA1-R, Rick Larson WA-D, John Linder GA7-R, Karen McCarthy MO5-D, C.L. “Butch” Otter ID1-R, Steve Rothman NJ9-D, Tim Ryan OH17-D, Cliff Stearns FL6-R, Ted Strickland OH6-D, Todd Tiahrt KS4-R, Bill Young FL10-R, and Jo Wilson SC2-R.)

Speaking to an overflow crowd of Christian and Jewish pro-Israel leaders from across America and Members of Congress from every point on the political spectrum, Richard A. Hellman, President of CIPAC, the only registered Christian pro-Israel advocacy group, announced the launch of a new wave of initiatives. Hellman encouraged the crowd of more than 360 to urge the prompt enactment of HR 1828, The Syria Accountability and Lebanon Sovereignty Restoration Act this year to define Syria as a terrorist state and pressure Syria to set Lebanon free and stop promoting terror and committing other offenses. He also called on the President to keep his repeated campaign promise to move the U.S. Ambassador to Jerusalem “as a first order of business”.

Most important, Hellman noted, is the need to let Israel defend herself against terror just as America is doing, and to desist from proposing any more plans to settle the Israel-Arab dispute. “No plan from outside has ever succeeded” he said, “so the State Department should learn to wait patiently until the parties themselves are ready to talk and agree,” after which outsiders may help.

The program featured such inspiring speakers as the expert on terror financing, Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld, author of the new book “Funding Evil”, Dror Vananu of Gush Kativ in Gaza, and Miriam Hellman from Prophetic Ministries who gave the stirring dedication.

Observers, who also were treated to performances by a the Kinor Israel Dance Company and the Prophetic Ministries Singers called the event the “greatest”, “most electric”, and “totally energizing”. For more information contact: Richard Hellman, [email protected], 202-234-3600, Fax 202- 332-3221, or in Israel (058) 342-192 from Septemer 17 to 25, 2003.