4 | March 2018 | The Jewish Outlook Community News & Features Non-Jewish Israelis Share Experiences to Advocate for Israel BY TONYIA CONE Last month, a group of advocates for Houston, College Station and Austin, Israel toured the United States, making Texas; Las Vegas, Nevada; Chicago, Illinois; several stops in Central Texas. The delega- Baltimore, Maryland; Washington, D.C.; tion members, from Reservists on Duty, Atlanta, Georgia; and Boca Raton, Florida. might have seemed unlikely though, Jonathan Elkhoury, Reservists on Duty because none are Jewish. minorities coordinator, has worked for the Nonprofit organization RoD was founded last four years to encourage Christians in in 2015 by Israeli reserve combat soldiers Israel to join the Israel Defense Forces or and officers who felt it was their duty to Sherut Leumi (national service) – Arab expose and counter the Boycott, Divest- citizens of Israel, are exempt from compul- ment, Sanctions movement and anti-Sem- sory military service but can volunteer itism on college campuses across America. to serve – and to integrate the Christian Palestinian-led BDS claims that Israel community into Israeli society. He writes is occupying and colonizing Palestinian and gives talks about Israeli Christians and land, discriminating against Palestinian minorities in Israel. Credit: Diana Hen and Reservists on Duty citizens of Israel and denying Palestinian The son of a former South Lebanon The Reservists on Duty delegation members at Texas A&M University refugees the right to return to their homes. Army officer who was forced to leave The movement likens Israel to South Lebanon after Israel's withdrawal in May African apartheid and calls for govern- 2000, Elkhoury fled to Israel along with his ments, corporations and institutions to put mother and brother in 2001, when Elkhoury pressure on Israel. was 9 years old. Because the Arab-speaking RoD’s website states, “Organizations schools would not accept him, he attended a fueling contemporary anti-Semitism do so Hebrew-speaking school. by spreading distortions of the truth that not On a recent visit to the University of only target the legitimacy of the Jewish state California at Irvine, a woman claimed that but the entire Jewish people…RoD adopts Haifa, where Elkhoury lives, is an apart- [an] assertive and proactive approach to heid city. He explained that this is just one directly confront BDS and organizations example of incorrect information perpe- that defame Israel and the IDF.” trated by BDS activists. Not only does The organization brings Israeli reserv- the government provide Arab-speaking ists to campuses in the United States schools because that community asked for to assertively challenge BDS and trains them, Haifa holds its Festival of Festivals Jewish students to advocate for Israel. every weekend each December in celebra- In February, a diverse group of five RoD tion of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Credit: Diana Hen and Reservists on Duty Credit: Diana Hen and Reservists on Duty Nasrin Khalifa Elhaib at Texas A&M Jonathan Elkhoury at the 2018 Maccabee Academy. delegates visited Boston, Massachusetts; Continued on Page 6 University. Take 10% off pet food for an entire year.