American Jews and Israel

RABBI PESACH LERNER

Rabbi Pesach Lerner has been the Executive Vice-President of the National Council of Young Israel for 18 years.  Rabbi Lerner is credited with the revitalization of the NCYI and the International Young Israel Movement.  Among so many other innovations, Rabbi Lerner created the acclaimed quarterly magazine, The Viewpoint.  He is behind the involvement of NCYI in such worthy activities as The Greater Eretz Yisrael Movement, United Jerusalem, support for the families of the former Gush Katif, the campaign for Jonathan Pollard, and Israeli soldiers missing in action.  Rabbi Lerner speaks throughout the United States and Israel on such topics as the American Jewish community, Eretz Yisrael and the world of the not-for-profit organizations.

International Law

PROFESSOR LOUIS RENE BERES

Professor Louis Rene Beres publishes widely on Israeli security matters. Professor of International Law at Purdue University, he is the author of several hundred magazine and journal articles. Professor Beres is the author of nine major books in the field, including several of the earliest major books on nuclear strategy and nuclear war.  His scholarly writings have appeared in several dozen law review articles, and in Department of Defense publications.  Dr. Beres is the Strategic and Military Affairs Columnist for The Jewish Press.

Prof. Beres will also be writing about nuclear weaponry.

Middle East Politics

YORAM ETTINGER

Ambassador (Ret.) Yoram Ettinger served as Minister for Congressional Affairs at Israel’s Embassy in Washington, Israel’s Consul General in Houston and Director of Israel’s Government Press Office.  Amb. Ettinger is a consultant to members of Israel’s Cabinet and Knesset and regularly briefs US legislators and their staff on Israel’s contributions to vital US interests and on other issues of bilateral concern.

Amb. Ettinger will also be writing on the Israeli economy and US-Israel relations.

Media and Other Bias

HELEN FREEDMAN

Helen Freedman became the executive director of Americans for a Safe Israel (AFSI) in 1995. From 2000 – 2008, Freedman was co-host of a weekly television program, Israel Update, which aired on the Public Access Cable which featured hundreds of interviews with Israel’s and America’s leading personalities.  Freedman makes frequent trips to Washington to educate lawmakers, countless demonstrations, and leads semi-annual Chizuk missions to Israel.

US-Israel Relations

LENNY BEN-DAVID

Lenny Ben-David served for three years as Israel’s Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington, D.C.  His duties included dealing with the U.S. Executive offices of the White House, the State Department, the Department of Defense, and the Legislature.  For many years Ben-David held senior posts in the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and opened and was the director for 15 years of Israel’s AIPAC office.  Currently, Ben-David is a Washington consultant to foreign embassies, a writer and an editor.  His topics include US-Israeli relations, modern Middle East history and Jewish affairs.  Ben-David blogs at www.lennybendavid.com.

Faux “Pro-Israel” Groups

LORI LOWENTHAL MARCUS

Lori Lowenthal Marcus is a lawyer and a journalist.  The co-founder of Z STREET, Marcus has spoken and written about Israel and about the dangers of global terrorism for more than seven years. For four years Marcus co-hosted a radio show about the Middle East and interviewed nearly every leading expert and participant in major issues affecting Israel.  Prior to plunging into Israel analysis and advocacy, Marcus practiced First Amendment law and taught at several law and graduate schools.

Marcus will also write about Sharia and Islamic terrorism.

Yesha Perspectives

YISRAEL MEDAD

Yisrael Medad  lives in Shiloh, a community village in Samaria, north of Jerusalem.  He is currently the Director of Educational Resources and Content of the Menachem Begin Heritage Centre.  Medad has lived in Israel since 1970, and served in the IDF.  In addition to serving in assistant positions to Members of Knesset and Deputy Minister for Science, Medad has lectured and written about Israel’s social and political history.  Yisrael Medad is an expert on the history and development of Israel’s settlement policy.