'It's good versus evil': ELNET's crusade for global unity against antisemitism

• Published date: 18 April 2024
• Author: FELICE FRIEDSON/THE MEDIA LINE
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

For more stories from The Media Line go to themedialine.org

David Siegel, president of Friends of ELNET, told The Media Line that following a successful mission in February 2022, Germany purchased Israel's Arrow 3 defense system as part of a landmark defense agreement. "They went back home, they purchased munitions for their drones. They came back to Israel, and now Israel's largest defense export in Israel's history went to Germany."

Among the representatives from France, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and the US was German MP Sandra Weeser. Like many other politicians, she toured what remains along Israel's border with Gaza. Weeser—chairwoman of Housing and Construction in the French-German parliament's bureau and Chairwoman of the Working Group Defense and Security—shared her thoughts on the experience with The Media Line: "I felt bad because I had the impression that I'm a voyeurist."

Visiting the remains of the Gaza border villages feels voyeuristic

"I'm going there for a kind of 'mass tourism,' but on the other hand, yesterday evening, when I rethought all [of] this, I found that it's important to see it to really understand, to get close to it."

Seigel explained that ELNET was created to form a pro-Israel network in Europe that would cover all 44 countries and develop support for Israel in the parliaments, in the governments, in the militaries, in the high-tech sectors to embed Israel and Europe and to embed Europe and Israel. He explained the reasoning behind this: "We're in a complicated global environment where the United States is a very important ally. But, the United States needs coalitions in order to operate. You see it against the Houthis in Yemen."

"Israel needs coalitions in order to operate. Fighting Hamas is not just a military campaign. It's a financial campaign. It's an international campaign." He pointed to the many fronts that Israel is facing, adding, "We're fighting the Persian Empire and all of its arms, and behind that Persian Empire is Russia and China, and the Jewish State can do a lot, but it can't do everything all on its own, nor can the United States."

Dan Hoisman, founder and president of DH Castle Development and Construction, recognized the importance of Israel maintaining partnerships with countries other than the United States. He told The Media Line: "Recognizing the whole [picture] that Europe is a greater trading partner than the United States, combined with the fact that the United States has developed some...