Sharon to US Jews: Stop saying we're starving

Jerusalem Post ^ | Jun. 2, 2003

[yonif]

There is no starvation here, and charity organizations raising money abroad should not say there is, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said at Sunday's cabinet meeting.

While praising the organizations for the work they are doing, he said that in the last few months some of them have mentioned hunger in literature used to raise overseas contributions.

"There is no starvation," Sharon said. "There is poverty, but no starvation."

Sharon's comment was backed by Social Affairs Minister Zevulun Orlev.

Sharon directed the ministers to instruct the fund-raising organizations they work with to stop marketing the country to overseas donors as a land hit by starvation.

During the meeting, the Joint Distribution Committee and the Soldiers Welfare Association were mentioned as using this method of solicitation. The case of the IDF officer who raised money for his soldiers who couldn't buy food was also discussed at the meeting. Sharon said that presenting Israel in this light to Jews abroad harms the country's image as a source of pride for the Jewish people and also harms immigration.

The cabinet passed a declaration on this matter that was opposed by Tourism Minister Benny Elon and Minister-without-Portfolio Gideon Ezra. They argued that this type of instruction to the fund-raising organizations will harm their efforts.

Along with this resolution, the cabinet, according to a communiqu issued after the meeting, "expressed its appreciation for the continuing involvement of Diaspora Jewish communities in building up the State of Israel and for the continuing support for the development of social welfare services, absorption, education, and health services."

The cabinet called upon Diaspora Jews "to continue being partners in building up the State of Israel as the state of the entire Jewish people," and to support four goals set out by Sharon: Jewish continuity via Jewish-Zionist education for the younger generation both here and in the Diaspora; encouraging immigration and the absorption of new immigrants; promoting national and social development, especially in the Negev and Galilee; and strengthening the status of Jerusalem.

The JDC chose not to comment on the charge that it solicits donations by talking about hunger. It issued instead a statement that said, "JDC welcomes the government of Israel's call for the continued partnership of Diaspora Jews in building the State of Israel."

The United Jewish Communities office here would not comment directly on the question of whether its North American offices use hunger to raise money. UJC director-general Nahman Shai issued a statement saying his office gives the information to the federations, but does not dictate campaign strategy.

"Throughout the United Jewish Communities' history of campaigns, the policy of the UJC is to show the full and honest picture of the reality in Israel, the positive and the negative and not to focus on one aspect of the situation in Israel."

Nurit Dabush, the spokeswoman for the Soldiers Welfare Association said, "We have never used the description of hungry soldiers" to solicit donations and have no plans to do so in the future. She said there was one instance in April where a satellite office in Toronto ran an ad quoting a newspaper article about hungry soldiers from Yediot Aharonot. "It was a one-time occurrence... We try to make sure that the funding campaigns do not do that," she said. They do talk about the problem of poverty with respect to the soldiers' families, but their phrase of choice is "families in need."

But Dabush added that nothing prevents donors from reading the Israeli papers which have done articles on soldiers from impoverished families who prefer to stay on their bases rather than return to homes without food.

[bybybill]

The same groups should stop saying that the arabs are going to destroy Israel and push the Jews into the sea.

[lavaroise]

The same groups should stop saying that the arabs are going to destroy Israel and push the Jews into the sea.

Ah ah! I guess we can't put definitions and names on realities we don't want to see. What else is that? Murder indeed.

[Alouette]

presenting Israel in this light to Jews abroad harms the country's image as a source of pride for the Jewish people

They just eliminated all assistance to destitute haredi families and ordered them to join the workforce when there are no jobs for them and we are supposed to pretend these people are not suffering??????

[lavaroise]

Sharon is out of control here. Doesn't he think the diaspora suffers too when it gives out food and charity to the Jews in Israel? So Jews can be murdered because Jews are like cats, they have 9 lives?

This is pathetic indeed.