Israeli peace activist Abie Nathan flew to the United States on Wednesday in an attempt to raise $1 million to build a refugee tent city on the Somalian-Kenyan border.
During the visit, Nathan expects to meet with leaders of American Jewish organizations. He expressed hope that the Americans will use their expertise in fund-raising for the cause.
Nathan just returned from Kenya, where he met with high-ranking government officials. “I spoke to the Somali spokesman, who will inform me within a couple of days whether we have permission to set up the camp,” he said.
Nathan’s American trip follows a largely unsuccessful bid to raise money in Israel. In the two weeks since Magen David Adorn began its fund-raising campaign, only 38,000 shekels, or $16,000, has been contributed by the public.
This, plus the government’s pledge of $10,000, falls far short of the sum needed to substantially help starving Somalians.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
