Pro-Israel lobby to be formed in Polish parliament
The new Polish Parliamentary Israel Allies Caucus hopes to garner support for the State of Israel through their shared Judeo-Christian values.
By GIL STERN STERN HOFFMANPresident Reuven Rivlin visits newly built Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw October 28, 2014.(photo credit: REUTERS)
Seventy years after the Holocaust, the Jewish state will be getting its first-ever pro-Israel caucus in the parliament of Poland, at an historic launching ceremony Monday in Warsaw.The Israel Allies Foundation will launch its 32nd Israel Allies Caucus around the world when its representatives and those of the World Jewish Congress meet with Jewish and Christian leaders in Poland to mobilize support for Israel through faith-based diplomacy.The new Polish Parliamentary Israel Allies Caucus hopes to garner support for the State of Israel through their shared Judeo-Christian values.“As anti-Semitism continues to rise in Europe and around the world, it is moving to witness this historic initiative by members of the Polish parliament to publicly support the Jewish state just 70 years after the Holocaust,” said former MK Shai Hermesh, chairman of WJC-Israel.Besides Hermesh, the Israeli delegation includes Knesset Christian Allies Caucus director Josh Reinstein, Israel Allies Foundation European Director Andras Patkai, WJC Israel executive director, Sam Grudwerg, Col. Moshe Leshem, Dr. Laurence Weinbaum, and Israel’s Ambassador to Poland Anna Azari.The delegation was set to meet in Warsaw with high ranking Polish politicians, including MP Jan Dziedziczak, who will chair the new caucus. MPs from both the opposition and coalition parties joined MP Dziedziczak to further the relationship between Poland and the State of Israel.“This is an important day for faith based diplomacy,” Reinstein said. “Seventy years after the Holocaust we must turn the bulk of our efforts towards mobilizing support for Israel. Israel is the only guarantor of the Jewish people’s survival.”The WJC is the international organization representing Jewish communities in 100 countries to governments, parliaments, and international organizations.The Knesset Christian Allies Caucus was established in 2004 and consists of 17 members of Knesset from six political parties.The caucus aims to open formal and direct lines of communication between Knesset members and Christian leaders, organizations, and political representatives around the world.Founded in 2006, the Israel Allies Foundation is dedicated to promoting communication between parliamentarians and legislators around the world over who share a belief that the State of Israel has the right to exist in peace within secure borders. Today, the IAF coordinates the activities of 32 Israel Allies Caucuses around the world.
