From: melsant@vipac.org Date: Sun 21 Sep 2003 Subject: VIPAC's Shana Tova New Year's Greetings! Dear VIPAC member: First and foremost thank you so much for choosing to participate in our VIPAC campaign to help Israel by sending thousands of emails faxes and phone calls to Washington each week urging more support for Israel during these difficult days. Too many friends of Israel have chosen to be passive or silent for a variety of reasons/excuses. But not the thousands of members of VIPAC--may G-d bless each and every one of you--who have chosen to exercise their democratic right of free speech to fulfill the Biblical commandment: "Thou shalt not stand idly by thy brother's blood." (Leviticus 19:16) And none of us should think even for a moment that these thousands of weekly messages to the White House and Capitol Hill in support of Israel have only Biblical import but no political impact. Our enemies don't think so and neither should we. Let me quote from a recent article in the NY Times printed on Monday September 8 on page A3 under the title "Bush Administration Warns Israel Not to Expel Arafat." Near the end of that article was the following paragraph: "European and Arab diplomats involved in the peace effort say privately that they regard as a major problem the unwillingness of the United States to push Mr. Sharon's government. THEY ATTRIBUTE THAT UNWILLINGNESS TO THE POLITICAL INFLUENCE OF CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN AND JEWISH GROUPS THAT SUPPORT ISRAEL." My friends that's what you and me and VIPAC are all about. So thank you all for your efforts and accomplishments during this past year. And let us all use this season of Rosh Hashanah to pledge our renewed efforts with more vigor and with more intensity on behalf of Israel for the coming year. And may our increased efforts on behalf of Israel's security in all of Jerusalem Judea Samaria Gaza and the Golan Heights be rewarded by G-d with the blessings of victory and peace for us and for all of Israel. Shana Tova Umetuka A good and sweet year to you all. Martin Elsant Co-chair Virtual Israel Political Action Committee (www.vipac.org) |