Despite the ongoing Iraqi missile threat, Jewish leaders and non-Jewish politicians have been arriving here in recent days to demonstrate solidarity with Israel.
President Chaim Herzog met here Sunday with a delegation of 1,300 French Jews who arrived last Thursday on five flights from Paris and Nice. They were by far the largest group from any country to arrive here since Israel came under Scud missile attack two weeks ago, but they were no means the only group.
Herzog also met Sunday with Mayor David Dinkins of New York, who flew to Israel on a personal mission of good will and solidarity.
Dinkins, New York’s first black mayor, was accompanied on his three-day visit by Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), a prominent member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
A number of Jewish groups have been arriving regularly for meetings with Israeli leaders and tours of missile damage sites.
A 42-member Hadassah delegation, led by Carmela Kalmanson, president of the women’s Zionist organization, wound up a four-day visit over the weekend. Hadassah held its midwinter board meeting in Jerusalem instead of Washington, where it had been scheduled originally.
Kent Schiner, president of B’nai B’rith International, arrived in Israel on the last leg of a 17-day B’nai B’rith mission that included stops in Eastern European capitals.
A delegation of nine public figures from Czechoslovakia arrived Sunday on a solidarity visit. It included members of Parliament, the chancellor of Prague University, the president of the Writers Association and several members of the clergy.
30 RABBIS FROM A DOZEN NATIONS
An international group of 30 rabbis from nearly a dozen countries was expected Monday on a visit organized by the World Zionist Organization’s Bureau for Spiritual Services.
Among them are the chief rabbis of communities in Argentina, Uruguay, Ecuador, Colombia, Britain, Austria, Italy, Sweden, Greece, Turkey and South Africa.
They will hold several sessions on the subject of “spiritual leadership at a time of crisis” and will outline their individual communities’ plans to assist Israel.
The mass delegation of French Jews has experienced three air raid alerts since its arrival on a five-day visit. The group is led by the chief rabbi of France, Joseph Sitruk, and Paris Chief Rabbi Alain Goldmann.
A week earlier, Jean Kahn, president of CRIF, the representative body of French Jewish organizations, led a group of French political figures on a goodwill visit to Israel.
Another solidarity visit was made by a group of French Socialists, led by former Prime Minister Pierre Mauroy.
Top Anglo-Jewish fund-raisers and religious leaders were in Israel last week on a five-day solidarity mission led by Sir Trevor Chinn, president of the Joint Israel Appeal.
Chinn was accompanied by Britain’s chief rabbi, Lord Immanuel Jakobovits, Chief Rabbi-elect Jonathan Sacks and the Israeli ambassador to London, Yoav Biran.
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