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Of Kostas Getsi
The general secretary of the Central Jewish Council of Greece, Victor I. Eliezer, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel, speaks to "G".
"Populism has always been directed against Jews and Israel and has always adopted extreme views against foreigners, today against Muslims, in the past against Jews, but in the future they may return," he points out in the exclusive interview he granted to "C". the general secretary of the Central Jewish Council of Greece Victor I. Eliezer, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel.
"Every family mourns a relative, a friend, a neighbor. But you know, joy is directly linked to sadness. For this reason, after all, the celebration of Israel's Independence is a continuation of the day of national mourning", emphasizes Victor Eliezer at another point of the interesting interview.
The interview he gave to Katerina Schishino, follows:
- Mr. Eliezer, what exactly does 70 years of existence of the State of Israel mean historically?
Israel is celebrating 70 years since its foundation and the Jewish people 70 years since acquiring their national home. So I would tell you that it is the place where the vision of self-determination of the Jewish people became a reality after 2000 years of exile, slavery, persecution and genocide that they suffered. It is the place where Jews from the four corners of the planet arrived there, either to escape persecution, or to build their own homeland, free from all restrictions. It is the place that welcomed those Jews who survived the horrors of the concentration camps. It is the place that welcomed hundreds of thousands of Jews, who were expelled from the Arab states. It is the place where persecuted Jews from North Africa, Yemen, Iran, Ethiopia, Chile, Argentina and the former Soviet Union found refuge. It is the place where the Arab citizens of the state enjoy the democratic rights that their compatriots do not enjoy in any other Arab state. It is the meeting place of different cultures and different religious currents. It is the place where tradition creatively meets progress and innovation, for the benefit of man and society as a whole. It is the place where its inhabitants daily transform the desert into fertile land, where natural sources become sources of energy that serve the environment. It is the place whose citizens have been forced to defend for 70 years because its neighbors never accepted their right to exist. It is the place for which 24000 of its children fell, defending this very right that all peoples have in their states: to live safely in their country, to coexist peacefully with their neighbors, to create and to progress. This place is the state of Israel.
More: INTERVIEW OF SECRETARY-GENERAL KISE IN ARTA'S OPINION ON ISRAEL'S 70 YEARS
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How the Jewish state managed to be a real economic and military power, but also the Silicon Valley of the Middle East
of Athan. H. PAPANDROPOULOU
When I visited Israel for the first time in 1960, as a student who had to do his first practical training in the real economy for a month, I went straight to a kibbutz. There I got my first taste of a socialist way of life, in a country that all its neighbors wanted to destroy. My experience was amazing. Certainly not, it was worth many university years.
However, in the text I submitted to the university after the internship, I came to the conclusion that Russian-inspired kibbutzim were doomed - for the simple reason that self-consumption of agricultural products in no way leads to economic and social development. I also emphasized that since the entire environment in which Israel had to survive was not conducive to industrial development, that country had to discover and exploit new wealth-producing sectors.
After 22 years had passed since my report, I visited Israel again in 1982, now as a journalist. The country, despite its hostile environment, had made enormous strides and was literally unrecognizable. As for the kibbutz I had known, it was no longer a farm but a highly advanced high-tech center. On the occasion of my new experience, I had then written to the Economic Post (OT) that Greece, instead of cursing and belittling the only democracy in the Middle East, would do well to take technological and defense lessons from it, if it really wanted to know substantial economic development and a very high level of military preparedness.
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On the occasion of 70th anniversary of the declaration of independence of the State of Israel, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) released the new e-book «ISRAEL AT 70 », of its CEO David Harris. It is a documented tribute to Israel's history and achievements. The publication is published in several languages and in GREEK, by KISE. Follow the links below:
DAVID HARRIS, "ISRAEL AT 70", AJC 2018 edition (GREEK). [ ENGLISH VERSION HERE 🇧🇷 OTHER LANGUAGES HERE ]