Tamir confronts Israel's image
By Josey Kirkland
The Jewish Advocate
On Wednesday night, 250 members of the Jewish community gathered at Temple Shalom in Newton for "A Conversation with Consul General Nadav Tamir" sponsored by the Jewish Community Relation Council's Israel Action Center. The Consul General briefed the community on the strategic threats to Israel and the Middle East.
Tamir emphasized the need to talk about Israel beyond its conflict with its neighbors. In general, Tamir said, "people tend to view Israel as a place of war and terror." He added, "Israel believes that it is important for the country to improve its image by speaking about its positive aspects as well as its political and security needs."
By focusing on improving Israel's image, Tamir hopes to connect younger Jews to the country by focusing on the positive and connecting emotionally. Non-Jews will also gain a greater insight into Israel.
In addition, Tamir noted that the relationship between the United States Jewish community and Israel is ripe for change. "Israel has a lot to bring to the table in Jewish education," Tamir said. He added that Israel could learn about volunteerism and sense of community involvement from Jews in the United States.
In a political context, Tamir discussed a new strategic opportunity for Israel to align itself with moderates in the region and isolate extremists. While some of the countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Tamir noted, "may not be our cup of tea," strategic partnerships are very important to defeat Islamic radicalism.
Regarding Iran, Tamir stressed that, "we must put economic and diplomatic pressure on Iran to put an end to their nuclear weapons program and avoid war." He noted that strong advocacy from opinion leaders and experts will be necessary to achieve this goal.
During the question and answer period Tamir addressed concerns about Israel's society and the challenges it faces. Issues raised included Israel's preparations for potential attacks from Hezbollah and Hamas, opportunities for progress in the peace process with the Palestinians and concerns about the current Israeli government's stability.
