VOLUME 12 ISSUE 2 | SPRING 2018 inFOCUSQUARTERLY ISRAEL: REFUGE AND RENAISSANCE Lela Gilbert on Jews and Christians in the Holy Land | Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod and Megan E. Turner on JNF’s Projects to Develop Green Spaces | Uri Naaman on Israeli-NATO Relations | David Koren on Governing Jerusalem | Yoram Ettinger on the Jewish State’s Demography | David M. Weinberg on Israel’s Winning Dipomacy | Albert H. Teich on U.S.-Israeli Technological and Research Cooperation | Pnina Agenyahu on Making Aliyah from Ethiopia | Eric Rozenman on How an Israeli Institute Trains Future Leaders | Sean Durns on the Media’s Israel Narrative | Gadi Shamni on Diversity in the IDF | Shoshana Bryen reviews Jerusalem: The Biography. Featuring an Interview with Ambassador Danny Ayalon LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER The First Jewish Commonwealth was Tzivia MacLeod highlight Israel’s eco- destroyed in 586 BCE; the Third estab- logical prowess – building a river in a inFOCUS lished in 1948 CE – making Israeli self- desert. Al Teich writes about U.S.-Israel VOLUME 12 | ISSUE 2 government both very old and very young. cooperation in scientific research, and Publisher By comparison, the French squeezed five Uri Na’aman about Israel’s cooperation Matthew Brooks Republics into just 225 years. with NATO. Yoram Ettinger is enthusi- Editor In modern times, the remnant that astic about Israel’s demographic future Shoshana Bryen never left was joined by Zionist pioneers. and Gadi Shamni is enthusiastic about Associate Editors They welcomed home the devastated sur- the skills young Israelis bring to the IDF. Michael Johnson Eric Rozenman vivors of Nazi rule and Pnina Agenyahu discusses Copy Editors then 700,000-plus im- the integration of the Ethi- Shari Hillman poverished brothers and opian community, while Karen McCormick sisters expelled from the David Koren explores the Published by: Arab/Islamic world. Then sensitive governance of Je- Jewish Policy Center Yemenite, Ethiopian, and rusalem as it relates to its 50 F Street NW, Suite 100 Russian Jews came as refu- Arab residents. David M. Washington, DC 20001. gees. Comprising 20 percent of the popula- Weinberg recounts Israel’s recent diplo- tion, Arab Christians, Muslims and Druze matic victories. (202) 638-2411 are part of the civic, religious, and cultural Shoshana Bryen reviews Simone Follow us on spectrum. Together, the people of Israel Sebag-Montefiore’s book, Jerusalem: JewishPolicyCenter @theJPC are building a high-tech, secure, demo- The Biography. The opinions expressed in inFOCUS do not cratic, wealthy and socially open country. If you appreciate what you’ve read, I necessarily reflect those of the Jewish Policy At 70, Israel is truly a country of encourage you to make a contribution to Center, its board, or its officers. “Refuge and Renaissance.” the Jewish Policy Center. As always, you To begin or renew your subscription, please In this issue, we are pleased, first can use our secure site: http://www.jewish contact us: [email protected] and foremost, to bring you the thoughts policycenter.org/donate. © 2018 Jewish Policy Center and energy of Israel’s former Ambassa- dor to the United States, Danny Ayalon. Sincerely, WRITERS’ GUIDELINES Lela Gilbert recounts her experienc- Essays must be 1,600 to 2,000 words es in Israel as an outsider – and an insider. in length. Email submissions to info@ Sean Durns takes on the unrelenting and jewishpolicycenter.org. undeserved hostility of the international Matthew Brooks, www.JewishPolicyCenter.org media. Megan E. Turner and Jennifer Publisher LELA GILBERT is editor of Newsmax’s Faith and Freedom col- Ambassador DANNY AYALON is an Israeli diplomat, columnist umn and the award-winning author of Saturday People, Sunday and politician. He served as Ambassador to the U.S., Deputy People: Israel through the Eyes of a Christian Sojourner. (3) Foreign Minister, and a member of Israel’s Knesset.(22) JENNIFER TZIVIA MACLEOD is a freelance writer for Jewish ALBERT H. TEICH, Ph.D., is a Research Professor of Science, Featuring National Fund. MEGAN E. TURNER is a clinical social worker Technology and International Affairs at George Washington who regularly writes for JNF projects in Be’er Sheva and the University.(27) wider Negev. (6) PNINA AGENYAHU is Director of Interfaces and Synergy at the Colonel URI NAAMAN, IDF (Ret.) served as Coordinator for Strategic, Planning and Content Unit of The Jewish Agency for NATO & European Defense Organizations at the Israeli Ministry Israel. (30) of Defense.(10) ERIC ROZENMAN is a communications consultant for the DAVID KOREN, Ph.D, is an advisor to the Mayor of Jerusalem for Jewish Policy Center. (33) Arab and Eastern Jerusalem affairs.(12) SEAN DURNS is a Senior Research Analyst for the Committee for Ambassador YORAM ETTINGER (Ret.) is a member of the Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA). (35) American-Israel Demographic Research Group (AIDRG) and a consultant to members of Israel’s Cabinet and Knesset. (17) Maj. Gen. GADI SHAMNI, IDF (Ret.) former Commander of Israel’s Central Command and Defense Attaché in Washington. (38) DAVID M. WEINBERG is Vice President of the Jerusalem Insti- tute for Strategic Studies. (20) SHOSHANA BRYEN is the Editor of inFOCUS and the Senior Director of the Jewish Policy Center. (41) My Sojourn Among the Saturday People by LELA GILBERT n January 2006, I was standing on a ❚❚Arriving in Jerusalem everything I could lay my hands on beach at a Sinai resort called Nuwei- That initial journey was primarily about Jewish and Israeli history, Zion- ba. It was a gorgeous sun-drenched one of curiosity. I’d heard about Israel ism, Christian-Jewish relations, and I day, crisp and cool. I watched as a from my father, who loved the stories current events. white camel and his rider splashed of the Jews’ regathering in their ancient I quickly discovered, however, that I through the surf, with the mountains homeland and their ensuing against-all- had a whole lot more to learn. of Saudi Arabia forming a backdrop odds military victories. In his view, those behind them. We were only about 40 were stories were all about miracles. ❚❚The Lies Around Me miles from the Egyptian-Israeli bor- Like me, my father was a Christian Clearly, there were continuous lies der — it was visible on the horizon believer, but his interest in Israel was not being told about Israel on a regular basis just ahead. altogether religious. I think, most of all, in the international media. Perhaps the As I stood there, a kind of excite- it was the unlikely success story of Israel’s most startling of all was Palestine Lib- ment stirred in me, something that I can founding, the glory of the Israel Defense eration Organization (PLO) Chairman only describe as a personal epiphany. I Forces (IDF), and the “desert blossoming Yasser Arafat’s declaration to President knew in an instant that I was going to like a rose” that intrigued him most. Bill Clinton that there had never been a Israel; that somehow I needed get myself By 2006, my own interests about Is- Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount. there. And the sooner the better. rael had to do with history and archeol- Fortunately, living in a geographi- And so it was, just half a year later, ogy, including the locales surrounding cally small country like Israel, it’s rela- that I flew from Los Angeles to Israel’s various Biblical stories. I also sought tively easy to find experts who actually Ben Gurion airport for the first time in to better understand Jewish beliefs and know what they are talking about. A few my life. I managed to arrive in the midst religious traditions; to see how modern phone calls led me to famed archeolo- of the Second Lebanon War, with more Israel manages to flourish in the shadow gist Gabriel Barkay, who has spent many than 4000 Hezbollah rockets raining of such hateful neighbors. years sifting through tons and more tons down on northern Israeli cities – more Most of all I wanted to become ac- of dumped soil from the Temple Mount, than 100 a day – while air and ground quainted with Israeli people – to live removed illegally during an expansion battles raged inside Lebanon. among them and not just catch a glimpse of the al-Aqsa Mosque. Night and day, tens of thousands of of them through a blurry tour bus window. I met with Barkay for several hours Israelis were rushing in and out of bomb I didn’t know a soul in Israel when at his home in a conversation which led shelters. Thousands more had fled the I arrived, but it didn’t take long to meet to another article for The Jerusalem Post. North altogether and were sleeping on some remarkable new friends. At the That was later expanded into a chapter of relatives’ couches, or glued to TV sets same time, unusual opportunities mate- my book Saturday People, Sunday Peo- in hotels, or camped out in a sprawling rialized, and I even found myself writ- ple: Israel through the Eyes of a Christian tent village along the coast. ing my first impressions of Israel for The Sojourner. My family and friends quietly Jerusalem Post. Another false statement – one I’d agreed that I was insane for going to Is- And as it turned out, that opened barely heard about when I arrived in Isra- rael at such a time. But war or no war, I up one door after another for interviews el – was immortalized by Jimmy Carter’s had no intention of changing my plans. with experts, moving conversations book title Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. I intended to stay in Jerusalem for four with wounded warriors, and discoveries One of my new friends in Israel was a months.