Delegates to the International Conference of the World Likud were in Chevron today (Monday, June 14th) to declare their support for an eternal Jewish presence in the city.  Arriving in Chevron shortly after terrorists shot at an Israeli police car just south of the city killing one officer and injuring others, Steve Goldberg, Vice Chairman of the ZOA and a native of Los Angeles, said the attack is the ultimate proof of why Jews need to remain in these contested areas.

“The Jews in Chevron and Yesha are pioneers in the truest sense of the word and keep the land protected on behalf of all of us” Goldberg said.” In Israel for the World Likud convention and the World Zionist Congress, he also said that these conferences allow people from around the world who share the same values and political principles to convene and express their unwavering support for Israel.

While visiting the small community of Israelis living in the city, the delegates unveiled a declaration in support of Chevron’s Jewish character which stated, “As children of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, and as a people committed to the traditions of Judaism and of our forefathers, we are compelled to do all in our power to ensure the continued forward development of this city as a Jewish city.”

“No one should be telling a Jew where in Israel he or she is entitled to set foot,” said Dr. Arnoldo Szwarcberg, President of Likud Branch in Argentina.  “Whether we’re talking about Tel Aviv or Chevron, all of these places must be considered as part of our ancestral homeland.”

World Likud General Manager, Rafael Cohen, commended the solidarity of the delegates by saying, “Particularly on days like today when our very security is being threatened by enemies of Israel sworn to our destruction, the support of world Jewry is all that much more vital.”

“The continued and constant presence of the Jewish people in our ancestral homeland is critical for our long-term security and we can therefore not yield to international pressure on this issue,” said Cohen.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)