What is the European Coalition for Israel?

European Coalition for Israel is a joint initiative by the four major international Christian pro-Israel organizations with activities in Europe to address the issue of growing anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism in Europe. The coalition was formally launched on March 2 2004 in Brussels, though the partner organizations have been working together to form the network already for several years.

ECI seeks to inform members of European Parliament and other political leaders in Brussels and other European capitals about the complex realities of the conflict in the Middle East by acknowledging the right for Israel, as the only democracy in the region, to exist within secure borders.

To achieve this goal ECI publishes issue briefs and other documentation on Israel, Europe and the Middle East. ECI does also organize regular conferences and seminars in Brussels and elsewhere to promote closer relations and understanding between Israel and the European Union and to educate about the long and tragic history of anti-Semitism on our continent.

Read more about the ECI here.

America, Stand with Israel at the Counter-Rally on June 10, 2007

From Stand With Israel Rally

You CAN make a difference.

Come to Washington DC on June 10, and join us in a rally to support Israel's right to peace, security and defensible borders!

Israel's opponents are on the move: On June 10, 2007, to mark the 40th anniversary of Israel's 1967 war of survival, the extremist groups "United for Peace and Justice" and "Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation" will hold what even the liberal magazine Tikkun called a rally for the "dissolution of the State of Israel." The "United for Peace and Justice" coalition includes such radical organizations as the Socialist Party USA, the Young Communists League, Communist Party USA, and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

Israel's supporters depend on you: We will gather on the West side of 3rd Street on the Mall, between Madison and Jefferson Drives. We are organizing this literally one week before the event, with almost no resources or time. This Counter-Rally truly is the product of a few citizens who are deeply outraged that Israel's opponents might have demonstrated in our nation's capitol without any patriotic opposing voices who will tell truth to counter these lies. We must stand up to lies and distortions.

We will not have a microphone or a speakers' platform, but we CAN show our support with our signs, flags, patriotic songs and our own strong voices as individual citizens exercising our right to assemble. We are bringing signs and flags for you to hold, sponsored by Stand with Us. Feel free to make your own sign, but please use the messages listed below.

Date: Sunday, June 10

Place: Begin assembling on the west side of 3rd Street on the Mall, between Madison Drive and Jefferson Drive at 1:00 PM. Our exact location may change. Please check here before the rally, and look for our American and Israeli flags on June 10.

Time:

• The Counter-Rally: The Stand with Israel Counter-Rally begins at 2:00 PM and lasts until 4:00 PM
• The March: The March from the Capitol to the Ellipse begins at 4:00 PM. We plan to march with our signs and flags parallel to, but apart from, the main demonstration.

What to bring: Bring a cell phone, food, water, a hat, and sunscreen.

Transportation: Don't drive--there is limited public parking on Capitol Hill. Take the metro to either Union Station on the red line or Capitol South on the orange/blue lines

Bus From New York City: We have confirmed that we will be able to charter a bus from New York to D.C. this Sunday, June 10th. The cost of the bus is $10 for students and $20 for non-students. The pick-up will be in front of the Empire state building at the corner of 34th and 5th at 9:00 a.m. WE WILL LEAVE BY 9:15 THE LATEST SO PLEASE BE ON TIME. The bus has limited seating so please rsvp to Michelle at mrojas@standwithus.com, to let us know that you will be using the bus as your mode of transportation down to D.C. Furthermore, if you plan on driving please inform Michelle as well if you have any extra room for passengers and/or materials. Don't forget to bring lunch with you...we will most likely be stopping at a mini-mart but in any case, everyone should have something to hold them over. As well as water, a hat, Israeli and American flags if you have them, and most importantly, your love for Israel!

Messages for signs:

• Israel We Stand With You
• Suicide Bombing is mass murder
• Hamas and Hezbollah: Allow the Red Cross to visit the abducted Israeli soldiers
• Palestinian Terrorists Terrorize Israelis and Palestinians
• UK, US and Israel Allies Against Terror
• Free the Palestinians from Hamas
• HAMAS Stop the Aggression
• Israel Must Defend Itself
• Stop the Qassam Rockets
• Hamas stop terrorizing the children
• Pick a side: Hamas and Hezbollah or Peace and Freedom
• Israel seeks a partner for peace
• Stand for Freedom, Stand for Israel
  
• Teaching Children to Hate Will NEVER Lead to Peace!
  

For more information, please email our volunteer coordinators.

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KNOW THESE POINTS ABOUT ISRAEL.

Use them in your conversations about the Arab-I sraeli conflict.

POINT : Israel’s size is 1/6 of 1% of the Arab World.

POINT : Israel has 1,300,000 Israeli -Arab citizens, who are 20% of its population. Israel also officially recognizes and gives privileges to 15 different religions.

POINT : Palestinian Arabs living in the territories are not citizens of Israel.

POINT : There was no Security Fence along the West Bank prior to the relentless violence in 2002, and since it was built, terrorism has dropped by 85%

POINT : Israel wants peace and is willing to make painful compromises by giving away land as it did for peace with Egypt and Jordan. Today it is unilaterally withdrawing from Gaza.

POINT : Where is the money? Arafat was given billions of dollars to improve living conditions for the Palestinians. He did not build schools, roads or hospitals. He did not improve housing or sewage systems. Those billions are missing. Hamas and other terrorist groups continue to misappropriate funds sent by well-meaning organizations like the U.N. and the E.U. Instead of building a Palestinian state these funds are being used to attack Israel. Why?

POINT : Peace Must Be Taught The PA must immediately change the message being taught by its clerics who call for the murder of Jews and by its teachers who deny Israel’s right to exist. PA schoolbooks must promote peace, not hatred.

POINT : The PA Charter Must be Changed. It still calls for the destruction of Israel, just as the Hamas Charter does.

POINT : Israel is a reestablishment of the Jewish State Jews have lived in and identified with this land for thousands of years. The Old Testament, New Testament and Koran all refer to this area as the land of the Jews. Even if one is not religious, these old documents are another way to show that Jews are indigenous to Israel and the surrounding area.

POINT : The Definition of Zionism: If you believe that Jews have a right to self-determination and to their own country in the area that is ancient Israel where they have maintained a presence for thousands of years, then you are a Zionist. Most Jews are Zionists, as are many non-Jews.

Produced by StandWithUs

A Pro-Israeli European Leader

It would be nice if Hillary Clinton, who I abhor, loathe and detest, but who I believe, with great sadness and with a heavy heart, has a decent chance of winning the 2008 presidential election because most Americans are too stupid to vote otherwise, should take some notes. Via Front Page Magazine:

Palestinian Authority officials have accused German Chancellor Angela Merkel of "offending the Palestinians' feelings" during her visit earlier this week to Ramallah, where she met with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

The accusations, the first of their kind against a European leader, were made by top PA officials only hours after Merkel and her entourage left Ramallah on Monday.

"She did everything to provoke the Palestinians during her visit," said one official. "She showed no understanding for the plight of our people. On the other hand, she appeared to be very biased toward Israel."

The official claimed that while Merkel refused to meet with families of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, she focused during her talks with Abbas on the need to release kidnapped IDF Cpl. Gilad Schalit, who has been held in the Gaza Strip since last June. In addition, he noted, Merkel met with the families of missing IDF soldiers during her visit to Jerusalem.

Read the complete article here.