Conference Of Presidents Mission Day Two Highlights (Photo Essay)

By BJLIfe/Sharon Altshul
Posted on 02/22/22

Jerusalem, Israel - Feb. 22, 2022 - Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations National Leadership Mission was in Jerusalem on Monday, February 21, 2022, with a full program at the Inbal Hotel.

Starting with a briefing on the challenges of  Israel's Nothern Border in the morning, followed by the various Israeli government ministers presenting and speaking, including Yair Lapid the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In the afternoon, on the expert panel on global powers in the Middle East, Carice Witte, Founder/Executive Director, SIGNAL – Sino Israel Global Network & Academic Leadership, stated that American weakness, loss of direction, and mistakes have caused China's confidence to grow, as examples in 5G, military bases, ports.

Anna Geifman added the Americans are not appreciating the ideology of Putin, Russia knows best. While no one knows what will be, Putin wants great Russia and needs Ukraine, and Putin is taking advantage as the West is divided. 

Adding to the situation in the Middle East, Eyal Zisser, Vice-Rector, Tel Aviv University mentioned Syria needs money, the US has, and the Arab world wants. Russia and Iran work together, they see the US did not care about Syria.

Former Ambassador to the US Michael Oren gave insight into the Israeli position.

Moderator Moav Vardi, KAN Chief International Correspondent, added to the bleak picture with comments on Turkey and its ambitions. 

Former President of Poland, Aleksander Kwasniewski, now on the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center Supervisory Board, was a participant on the panel "Holocaust by Bullets: Telling the Untold Story for Future Generations."

Also on the panel, was Natan Sharansky, who now serves as Chairman of the Board, Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center Foundation.  A short video on the plans for the center was shown. 

Father Patrick Desbois, Director, Episcopal Committee for Relations with Judaism; Consultant to the Vatican, Head of Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center Academic Council, and Ilya Khrzanovsky, Artistic Director, Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center participated.

Moderator, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Sima Vaknin Gil, Founder, Strategic Impact, Strategic Advisor to Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center, and Dina Porat of Yad Vashem rounded out the panel of Shoah experts. 

The evening program before and during dinner celebrated the Abraham Accords, with Ambassadors to Israel from US Thomas Nides, from Bahrain Kahled Yousif Ahmed Alialahma, Morocco Abderrahim Beyyoudh, and Charge d'Affairs Kosovo Ines Demiri speaking. Ending the second day after their positive messages in a much more optimistic mood, with another panel which included MK Ruth Wasserman Lande who heads the Abraham Accords Caucus in the Knesset. 

Each day all participants were required to be tested for coronavirus, wear masks and be careful of distancing, as well as the number of participants limited this year.  Many of the Conference sessions were "Off the Record." Tuesday meetings were at the Knesset and Beit Hanasi, and tours to various Israeli strategic locations are planned. The delegation is led by William Daroff and Malcolm Hoenlein.