Texas Jewish Post (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 59, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 19, 2005 Page: 2 of 24
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TJP V59-20 05-19-05 p01-04 5/17/05 5:39 PM Page 2
-e
Texas Jewish Post
In Our 59th Year
May 19,2005
Salute to Israel
Strayhorn praises two Lone Star states
At annual tribute for Israel,
Makovsky predicts Mideast
will have a pivotal summer
By Steve Israel
Staff Writer
DALLAS — Comptroller Carole
Keeton Strayhorn told a community
gathering last week that she will con-
tinue to be "one tough grandma
watching out for... our two Lone Star
states, Texas and Israel."
Declaring herself "a staunch
believer in the State of Israel," Stray-
horn spoke at the annual Israel
Memorial Day/Independence Day
observance where she was honored
for increasing the State Treasury's
investment in State of Israel bonds 67
percent since 1998 to an all-time high
of $20 million.
"We are just beginning...[Israel
Bonds] will pay solid dividends for
Texans for generations to come," she
told nearly an audience of nearly 300
at Congregation Shearith Israel. Ear-
lier this year, the State Treasury
purchased $2 million in new State of
Israel bonds and renewed $2 million
of previou sly purchased bonds.
Strayhorn accepted a recognition
plaque from lim Hogue, chair of the
lewish Community Relations
Council (ICRC) of the lewish Feder-
ation of Greater Dallas. The ICRC
sponsored the event with the Rab-
binic Association of Greater Dallas,
in cooperation with local synagogues
and organizations.
Hogue praised Strayhorn as an
example of the "woman of valor"
described in Proverbs, whose attrib-
utes include "kindness and
generosity." The plaque from "the
lewish community of Dallas" cites
Strayhorn "for her steadfast commit-
ment and support on behalf of the
State of Israel."
The comptroller said she was
"honored and humbled to be with
you for this celebration of Indepen-
dence Day 5765. I am a staunch
believer and a great ally. I salute the
State of Israel.. .What a positive dif-
ference the bond of friendship
between Texas and Israel
makes...Texas and Israel share vital
business ties. Texas exports more
than a billion dollars worth of man-
ufacturing goods annually to Israel.
Three hundred companies based or
located in Texas do business with
Israel."
Some political analysts have called
Strayhorn a potential candidate in
next year's Republican Party primary
for governor, lieutenant governor or
U.S. senator. She gave the crowd a
taste of her governmental priorities,
saying Texas is "great but we can do
better...We are number two in the
world in our economy...and we're
also number two in these United
States in the number of children
living in poverty - 1.5 million chil-
dren - and we are dead last with
children's health insurance. That's
unconscionable, and isn't the Texas
way, and it cannot continue. Our
government must reflect the people
of Texas - strong, proud, courageou s
and caring, like the people of Israel.
And to guarantee prosperity for
Texas, we must Jilt all Texans.
"I'm going to continue to be one
tough grandma, watching out for
education, paychecks and jobs,
healthcare, our children and
watching out for our two Lone Star
states, Israel and Texas. Shalom."
Middle East analyst David
Makovsky delivered the evening's
principal message, saying Israel's
planned summer withdrawal from
Gaza "is going to be a very tough,
gut-wrenching experience, possibly
the most difficult since Israel's
founding in 1948 and certainly for
the 8,000 Gaza settlers being relo-
cated.
"This summer, are we going to
have lew against lew?" asked
Makovsky, a widely read journalist
and a senior fellow and director of
the Washington Institute for Near
East Policy.
He forecasts possible internal
Israeli strife from a looming collision
between ardent opponents of the
Gaza withdrawal and Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon, who has won Knesset
and cabinet approval of his plan to
withdraw forces and settlers from the
southernmost Palestinian territory.
"Sharon is testing a proposition:
'Can a majority impose its will on a
very determined and almost single-
minded minority?'" Makovsky said.
"That sounds easy but it isn't"
because many opponents find the
Sharon plan "religiously illegitimate."
Makovsky expects the ou tcome to
be "a key defining moment of Israel's
democracy." If a minority can block
a majority decision, he said, "I think
it means anarchy." Emotions could
lead many young Israelis to "opt out
of the army," he said.
Israel's "ability to withstand adver-
sity," displayed during the 4- 1/2-year
intifada, combined with Labor and
Likud political parties "sitting
E
United Texas Bank
JCRC Chair Jim Hogue visits with Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn after pre-
senting her with a plaque of appreciation for Texas' support of Israel Bonds.
together," increase peace hopes, he
said. "It's critical that lews of the
Diaspora come together and unity
and gain strength from the resilience
of the people of Israel," he added.
Makovsky said he's convinced
from meetings with Mammoud
Abbas that the Palestinian leader has
"genuine intentions" but "the ques-
tion is 'What are his capabilities'" in
restraining the militant Hamas
movement. Hamas has strong influ-
ence in the Palestinian population,
operating effective schools with hot
lunches and providing other popular
programs, for example.
Meanwhile, Arab nations' support
for Palestinians is more rhetorical
than financial, he complained, with
the exception of the United Arab
Emirates, which gave $55 million to
build a new neighborhood in Gaza.
Oil-rich Saudi Arabia, by compar-
ison, has provided meager support,
he said.
The biggest unknown is "how does
the Gaza disengagement itself work,
because I think it will be the prism
through which both publics refract
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their expectations of the future,"
Makovsky said. "If it's successful and
coordinated, I think it could
embolden those who want to move
forward. And, if it fails, then I think
this brief hope could flicker out."
Rabbi Ari Perl of Congregation
Shaare Tefilla told the gathering that
"it is the somber tribute of Yom
HaZikaron leading up to that Inde-
pendence Day that enables us to
appreciate and to truly celebrate the
gift that is the State of Israel."
Four local students each memori-
alized a young Israeli killed in acts of
terror: Miles Pulitzer of Akiba
Academy lit a candle for Ari Weiss,
Alex Migicovsky of the Ann and Nate
Levine Academy of Solomon
Schechter School for Koby Mandell,
Becca Peiser of Yavneh Academy for
Malki Roth and Daniel Bonner of
Yavneh Academy for Yoni Jesner,
Rabbi Andrew Paley of Temple
Shalom delivered the prayer for the
State of Israel, Cantor Itzhak Zhre-
bker of Shearith Israel sang "El Mole
Rachamim" ("The Lord of Compas-
sion"), Rabbi David Stern of Temple
Emanu-El recited the Kaddish and
Ilan Adar of Congregation Anshai
Torah sounded the Yom HaZikaron
closing notes on the shofar.
The evening's second segment,
celebrating 57 years of Israeli inde-
pendence, opened with Cantor Don
Croll of Temple Shalom singing "The
Star Spangled Banner" and
"Hatikvah."
Rabbi William Gershon of
Shearith Israel recalled an impres-
sion of his congregation's March trip
to Israel. "Everywhere we went, the
country was teeming with life and
activity," he said. "But every single
restaurant and every single cafe has
a shomer, a guard, standing at the
door. Am Yisrael chai! The people of
Israel lives. Our brothers and sisters
in Israel have sought a way to over-
come terror and such despicable acts
of violence that would have crushed
the spirit of any other people."
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Wisch, Rene. Texas Jewish Post (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 59, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 19, 2005, newspaper, May 19, 2005; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth188080/m1/2/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .