Israel Bonds group here from US to ‘motivate leadership’

“Everybody knows Israel is always on fire, and people come here and are totally 100 percent involved with Israel’s welfare," says organization head.

By MEIRA BIENSTOCK
israel bonds 311 (photo credit: Israel Bonds)
israel bonds 311
(photo credit: Israel Bonds)
With a goal of raising $1.5 billion for Israel this year, 150 delegates from Israel Bonds in the US are visiting the country this week.
Last year, Israel Bonds collected $1b. for large state projects.
The delegates are very optimistic about the situation here.
“[We wanted to see] what’s presently going on in Israel besides what we see in the media, and take the things that we see and then motivate the leadership to raise and sell the Israeli bonds that the government requests us to do,” Michael Siegal, chairman of Israel Bonds’ board of directors, told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. “We are not a political organization; we are not philanthropists; we help Israel’s debt security.”
There are three groups here from the US – leadership and young leadership delegations and a women’s division.
Raphael Rothstein, head of communications for Israel Bonds in the US,said the delegates had been “very moved by the spirit of the country.
“Everybody knows Israel is always on fire, and people come here and aretotally 100 percent involved with Israel’s welfare and invested inIsrael’s future,” he said. “Many people who buy bonds are non-Jews.”
Media adviser Hagai Elias said the delegates were very impressed with the Israeli economy.
“The [economic] crisis was much weaker than in America,” Elias said.“The regulation of the banks is stronger in Israel, and the currency isvery strong.”