SKA girls meet Israeli Ambassador Bermer

How is Israel really perceived in the world arena? What are some of the core challenges Israel faces in diplomacy? What can we do to support Israel during these challenging times?

These are some of the questions that the lobbying committee of the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls discussed in a recent audience with Ambassador Ron Dermer, Israel’s man in Washington. 

A delegation of five students — Rachel Ash, Zahava Gros, Shoshana Rockoff, Gabrielle Spirgel and Michal Yacker — accompanied by Grades 9–10 Principal Raizi Chechik, visited Israel’s ambassador to the United States, in Washington, on April 4. Everyone in the embassy wore blue and white and spoke Hebrew, which really added to the Israeli atmosphere.

We asked Ambassador Dermer many questions about Israel and what we can do as American citizens to help the Jewish state. Ambassador Dermer discussed the recent rise of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism and stressed the importance of fact-checking information about Israel’s portrayal in the media.

He shared stories about his experiences as a senior adviser to Prime Minister Netanyahu and as ambassador, and maintained how we must be grateful that we are held to a higher standard than the rest of the world, as it means that they recognize that the Jewish people are the world’s moral compass.

One of the most powerful concepts the Ambassador expressed was that we are all “ambassadors” of Israel in our own way and represent the Jewish people and the Jewish state with everything we do or say. All our actions can have an extraordinary impact on viewpoints and feelings about Israel.

Ambassador Dermer also related a story about a meeting he had with New Jersey Rep. Albio Sires, in which he tried to persuade him to oppose the Iran nuclear deal. Rep. Sires expressed his appreciation to the Jewish community which allowed him, as a young boy, to play basketball in their gym on Shabbat as they were praying upstairs. He said that while he opposed the deal on its merits, he will forever be pro-Israel because of this encounter.