By COLlive reporter
While Washington, D.C., is increasingly consumed with bickering between Democrats and Republicans, the U.S.-Israel relationship remains the one issue that transcends the partisan divide.
In a display of this bipartisan spirit, more than half of Congress attended tonight’s Gala Banquet, which filled a room large enough to fit the Washington Monument on its side.
The major speakers were Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Senate Majority Leader John Boehner.
In his speech Prime Minister Netanyahu reassured the public that Israel remains the United States’ ‘indespensible ally’, despite his rejection of U.S. President Obama’s call for a peace deal based on 1967 borders last week.
He also said that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has raged for nearly a century because the Palestinians “refuse to end it. They refuse to accept the Jewish state.” Netanyahu said that Israel wants peace, “because we know the pain of terror and we know the agony of war.”
Representatives from more than 65 countries—including ambassadors from China, South Africa, Mexico, Turkey and the Netherlands—were at the dinner.
Senators, members of Congress, administration officials, foreign diplomats and other VIPs at the banquets had their names read during the Roll Call, a lively Policy Conference tradition that has been a crowd favorite for many years.
AIPAC National Board members Amy Friedkin and Michael Tuchin joined AIPAC Executive Director Howard Kohr for the Roll Call.
The crowd of 10,000 people dined in two separate ballrooms.
A group of Lubavitchers were present at the gala, chief among them Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Director of American Friends of Lubavitch and Chabad’s Shliach in Washington, DC.
From Brooklyn came Lubavitch.com Editor Baila Olidort; Lubavitch.com media relations Yaacov Behrman; Rabbi Avraham Berkowitz of Machne Israel Fund; Chabad.org media relations Motti Seligson; Algemeiner Newspaper Director Dovid Efune; Getzy Markowitz.
Shluchim present were Rabbi Ruvi New of East Boca Raton, FL; Rabbi Aaron Margolin of Norfolk, VA; Rabbi Berel Wolvovsky of Silver Spring, MD; Rabbi Yossi Lipsker and Rabbi Shmaya Friedman of Swampscott, MA; Rabbi Zev Katz of Miami Beach, FL.
Also there were Shluchim: Rabbi Elazar Green of Lancaster, PA; Rabbi Moshe Gray of Dartmouth College in MA; Rabbi Menachem Margolin of Brussels, Belgium; Rabbi Isser New of Atlanta, GA; Rabbi Yehudah Leib Kantor of Westport, CT; Rabbi Laibel Berkowitz of Huntsville, AL.
Prior to the Gala Banquet, delegates attended lobbying workshops, where they heard from AIPAC’s top experts how to make the case for Israel on their visit to Capitol Hill on Tuesday.
VIDEO: Netanyahu’s speech
shame on you!! if the Rebbe would see our comment you would be embarrassed! The fact that our own brothers and sisters are living there gives us every right to protect and support them! Am Yisroel Chai!! hey why don’t you go join the neturei karta and not call yourself a Chabdnik, please!
please do not write comments if you have no idea what you are saying. The Rebbe very much pushed lubavitchers to support israel, although you are right that it is we cant make a jewish state before moshiach, none the less we must help save jewish lives and ensure the safety of israel and the jewish people. thats why the rebbe appointed yossel Gutnick a lubavitcher to be the shliach for shlaimus haaretz so the jewish people will be safe, and to influence the goverment not to give away land. therefore going to these events is supporting the safety of… Read more »
Yes. Much bigger than the kinus.
There was 11,000 people there.
vos iz a aipac ?
Chabad of Austin and El Paso Texas
That is exactly what the Neturai Karta say. I dont think that is what you meant and if it is, I am sorry for you.
AIPAC, and any Lubab who is supporting it, is showing that we, Americans and our government need to stand beside Israel and support their decisions.
Not that we’re competing, but is it a bigger banquet than the kinnus?
to #2
want a name?rabbi kantor!!
Where are my buddies???? Joyce, Ira, Bob? Where are you guys???
Rabbi green!
What a chillul Hashem!!! Your supporting the sionists!!! The rebbe would be so dissapointed!! Only moshiach can give us the auhorization to build and govern the Landa of Israel. Shame!
Rabbi Zvi and AIdy Drizin are from Intown Dallas Chabad
they are amazing but supporting the creation of a state stewarded by hamas is INEXCUSABLE we have a responsibility to create a more (self) determined and more jewish future for the land of israel.
http://youtu.be/_bUpGP55bmg
Are they supporting Medinat Yisrael or Medinat Eretz Yisrael?
Just wondering…
Rabbi Zvi and Aidy Drizin of Plano, Texas are also there
What time is the spontaneous dancing?
A big thank you to all those who are there to defend Eretz Yisroel from our enemies from outside and within!
Really? oy vey! we won’t be able to sleep tonight!! pls tell us his name! pls….
I think you are missing a Shliach who I know is there