JP UPDATES
Public Advocate Tish James Leading Community Leaders Mission on 9-Day Trip to Israel
byJacob Kornbluh
New York City Public Advocate Letitia James is heading to Israel Sunday night as head of a 16-member NYC community delegation, for a 9-day educational visit to the Jewish State.
The delegation includes, other than the public advocate, Michael Kaplowitz, chairman of the Westchester County Board of Legislators; Sheikh Moussa Drammeh, head of the Islamic Cultural Center of North America in The Bronx; Kwang Kim, president of Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York; Margarette Purvis, President and CEO of the Food Bank for New York City; Dianne Morales, CEO of Phipps Community Development Corporation; Charles Archer, CEO of Evelyn Douglin Center for Serving People in Need; Deepmalya Ghosh, Executive Director of Youth Development & Community Engagement at The Child Center of NY; Elsie St. Louis Accilien, Executive Director for Haitian-Americans United for Progress; Ibrahim Khan, chief of staff to the Public Advocate; Yoel Lefkowitz, Jewish community outreach coordinator at the office of the Public Advocate, and several Jewish leaders.
The trip is sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council. This is James’ first trip to Israel.
During the trip, the delegation is expected to meet with several political leaders and opinion makers, and visit historic sites and centers of economic and business innovation. Political figures they will meet with include Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein and Labor (Zionist Union) MK Hilik Bar.
The highlight of the visit will be a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum, as well as a tour in the Old City of Jerusalem, including the Western Wall, and a day trip to Masada.
During her visit, James is also expected to visit Gush Etzion, the Ashkol Regional Council on the border of Gaza, as well as a brief visit to Ramallah.
“New York shares a unique relationship with Israel and I’m thrilled to be traveling there along side several leaders from across our City,” James told JP. “From expanding economic partnerships to learning about how New Yorkers can benefit from advances in Israeli industries like the technology and healthcare sector, I am optimistic our trip will be an important step toward bringing our countries closer together.”
“I am also looking forward to engaging in a constructive dialogue with a cross-section of leaders and bring the spirit of New York City to Israel,” she added.
Michael Miller, Executive Vice President & CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, who is accompanying the public advocate on the trip, told JP, “We are delighted to partner with Public Advocate Letitia James in leading this important mission to Israel which will serve to strengthen the unbreakable bond between New York City and the State of Israel.”
New York City has very close economic ties to Israel; there are there are currently over 200 Israeli startup companies in New York City, with new ones opening at an average rate of 10 per month. Additionally, New York State is ranked as the number one exporter to Israel out of the 50 States. New York City is also home to the landmark partnership between Cornell University and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. The two-million-square-foot applied science and engineering campus on Roosevelt Island is scheduled to open in 2017.
In a recentinterview with JP, James stated that her position as the first black woman to hold citywide office, she feels it as an obligation serve as an educator to people of color – the majority-minority in the City – highlighting the connection between New York City and Israel and the shared fight against terrorism. “I have a responsibility and a duty to speak to communities of color and educate them and that’s why I’m going to Israel to learn more and to speak out more in defense of Israel and its policies,” she said.