MK Danny Danon (Likud) called for greater involvement by youth in Zionist
activities – regardless of their ideological affiliation – at the 32nd National
Zionist Youth Congress in Nazareth Ilit on Monday.
Danon is the chairman
of the Knesset Committee for Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora
Affairs.
“My main message is to be involved,” Danon told The Jerusalem
Post immediately prior to his address to the Congress, whose attendees represent
various youth faction chapters from around the country.
It does not
matter “whether you belong to the [left wing] HaShomer HaTzair, or to [right
wing] Beitar or to [the national- religious] Bnei Akiva” youth movement, Danon
said, “as long as you are involved and you take a leading role. That’s what is
important.”
Attendees at the event gathered on Monday for the two-day
session organized by the Zionist Council in Israel and the World Zionist
Organization.
The theme of this year’s event is “get up and fall in love
with the land.”
Hundreds of youth, estimated by MK Danon’s office at
between 700 and 1,000, are participating in the event, including representatives
of schools and student councils, youth movements and youth
organizations.
“These participants represent to a large extent the social
mosaic of Israel,” an event spokesman said.
Participants discussed
various issues facing the state, including settlement of the periphery, the
debate over equality of service in the IDF and social
responsibility.
Danon said that “even though we are busy with forming a
coalition, it is very important to speak to the youngsters in the Zionist
Congress who came to speak about Zionism.
I find it very important to
speak with the youngsters, to learn from their ideas.
“It reminded me of
when I was a little bit younger and was involved with the Beitar youth
movement,” Danon said.
|