PRESS RELEASE: World Jewish Congress hosts former NYC Mayor Giuliani in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM 14 March 2016– The World Jewish Congress (WJC) and the Israel Council on Foreign Relations (ICFR) on Sunday hosted New York City’s former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in Jerusalem. Giuliani told the audience, which included Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, Israel’s Minister for Social Equality Gila Gamliel and the director-general of the Prime Minister’s Office, Eli Groner, that the resilience he witnessed in Israel after bus bombings in the late 1990s helped him lift the morale of New Yorkers years later on Sept 11, 2001: “I came to Israel thinking I would lift morale but I came back uplifted.”
 
The former New York mayor, who recently joined the US law firm Greenberg Traurig, where he is the new global chairman of its Cybersecurity and Crisis Management practice, said of Israel, “America should be 100% behind you because you are fighting our battle on the front lines against Islamic terrorism. «He added, «It is almost unpatriotic not to love Israel.» Giuliani proclaimed “I love the World Jewish Congress because you represent the Jewish people in a way that shows the history and the tenacity of the Jewish people.»
 
Groner remarked that Giuliani is “a man of courage, conviction, and truth,” while Mayor Nir Barkat called him an inspiration. The dinner reception at the King David Hotel was attended by a capacity audience of 120 people.
 
The host of the evening, Shai Hermesh, WJC-Israel chairman, praised Giuliani as “one of the staunchest supporters of Israel I know.” Hermesh went on to say, “You have been an example to the world. You have always stood with the people of Israel and have always explained that our fight is the fight of all good people.”
 
Rudolph Giuliani served as mayor of New York City from January 1994 to December 2001. He received widespread praise for his leadership in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani speaking as a guest of the World Jewish Congress and Israel Council on Foreign Relations in Jerusalem. March 13, 2016. (Photo courtesy of World Jewish Congress)

About the World Jewish Congress and the Israel Council on Foreign Relations

The World Jewish Congress (WJC), founded in Geneva in 1936, is the international organization representing Jewish communities in 100 countries to governments, parliaments and international organizations. The Jerusalem-based Israel Council on Foreign Relations (ICFR) is devoted to the study and debate of foreign policy, with special emphasis on Israeli and Jewish concerns. The ICFR functions under the auspices of the WJC.

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