I had the incredible opportunity to attend the AIPAC Policy Conference a couple of weeks ago with 18 of my classmates and teachers as part of the TABC delegation. The conference was an informative and empowering experience, teaching us about Israel and encouraging us to advocate further on its behalf.
The most eye-opening part of the trip was witnessing the diversity of the attendees, speakers, and politicians at the conference. I went from learning about the history of the peace process in Israel from a professor born in pre-1948 Palestine straight to hearing from a panel of high school advocates for Israel and leaders of tomorrow. I met people with all different types of religious affiliations and from across the political spectrum. The one thing that united all 18,000 of us at the conference was our love for Israel and our desire to advocate on its behalf. Coming as a high schooler from a modern orthodox community in Teaneck, New Jersey, I had a pretty close-minded
view of what type of people prioritized standing up for Israel; I never realized how widespread the support really was. On the conference, we heard from people with all different types of religious backgrounds; Reform leaders joined together with Christian Pastors and Orthodox Rabbis. Members of Congress from both parties came out together to address the massive crowd gathered at the general sessions. Republicans, like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, and Vice President Mike Pence, spoke on the same stage as Democratic senators, including local ones, such as Bob Menendez and Chuck Schumer, and they all came out promising unwavering support for the American Israeli alliance. In today’s hyper-partisan political climate, it was refreshing and reassuring to see all these different types of people come together in agreement to stand up for Israel.
Another aspect of the conference that was especially encouraging was being able to see all the innovations coming out of Israel. From a grasshopper farm to a vest that protects from nuclear radiation, we were able to see first hand just how large of an impact such a small country is going to have on the outside world in the future. A particular focus that stood out was the number of innovations focused on people with disabilities. We met people who are blind and assisted by a guide dog from the Israel Guide Dog Center. We played games that were tailor-made to be accessible to people with disabilities, courtesy of Beit Issie Shapiro. We saw Dream Doctors, who dress up and put smiles on the faces of those who are confined to hospitals. The fact that a country which is constantly fighting for its own survival has people who are willing to step back and focus on those who are less fortunate was inspiring. With all the attention in the news focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and political controversies, seeing this other side of Israel gave me a new perspective on what’s really happening in Israel.
As US Ambassador Nikki Haley’s speech about how she stands up for Israel against bullies in the UN was met with wild applause, the rest of the TABC delegation and I were in agreement that we must also do our part in advocating and standing up for Israel in our own ways. The responsibility becomes a lot more manageable, though, knowing that this love for Israel is shared by such a vast amount of people from all over the country and that even faced with all the struggles that Israel goes through on a daily basis, it still manages to thrive in so many ways. The conference certainly helped pave the way for us to get more involved and showed us both how to stand up for Israel and why it is so vital that we do so.
By Eli Rifkind
