Israel Truth Week Updates – March 01/13

There are a number of very exciting developments in the final days before the 2013 Israel Truth Week Conference:

“The resistance has begun!,” Michael Coren

1. Final-program is now available for download on conference page.

2. Watch SUN TV’s ‘The Arena’ w/Michael Coren next week: Cathy Lanyard, Executive Director of Friends of ALYN Hospital, who is flying up from NYC to be with us (we’re trying to raise $25K for her sick & disabled kids in Jerusalem), as is ITW allyRabbi Jonathan Hausman from Boston, will be recording segments next Monday. Possibly also… our new keynote finale speaker, Rev. Majed El Shafie.

Help the heroic children of ALYN Hospital in Jerusalem. Click here to make their lives a little easier.

3. If you can’t be with us at the conference…would you consider helping Cathy’s kids? Even a $5 donation helps, and it’s for a great cause: Alyn treats kids of all races and religions, and their annual operating budget is about the same as a medium-sized hospital in the USA…for ONE week. Click here for the special ALYN/Israel Truth Week donation page.

4. ITW keynote presenter Rev. Majed El Shafie spoke at the United Nations last Thursday at a conference organized by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA) before the group presented a draft convention to the UN to stop the incitement to terror. We are thrilled to have him as our finale speaker next Wednesday evening.

5. NEW Day 1 speaker: Tahir Aslam Gora, Founder of Muslim Committee Against Antisemitism, will step in to replace Shobie Kapoor of the Canadian Patriotic Society who was, regretfully, called out of town for a family emergency. His topic: ‘A Muslim Case Against Anti-Semitism.’ Come and meet Tahir at the ITW Tradeshow in the large lobby of Victory International Church, our venue. We are honoured to have Tahir with us, and I think you will want to hear what he has to say when you read what he already has said about freedom, anti-Semitism and Islamic extremism:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahir_Aslam_Gora
• http://www.jewishtribune.ca/news/2013/02/06/moderate-muslims-in-canada-stand-up-to-fight-anti-zionism-antisemitism
• http://jdlcanada.wordpress.com/2012/11/04/tahir-aslam-gora/

Tahir will also be speaking March 10th at a special event organized by the Muslim Committee Against Antisemitism at Mississauga’s Promenade Art Gallery from 2-6pm, 943 B Lakeshore Road East between Dixie & Cawthra. The event’s theme is, ‘Why is it important for Muslims to recognize Israel’s right to exist in order to curb prevailing Anti-Semitism within the Muslim Diaspora?’ Complimentary treats & refreshments included. More info: 905.320.0906, canadianthinkersforum@gmail.com.

6. NEW Day 2 speaker: Eitan Gilboord, President of Ryerson Israeli Student Association, Ryerson University. His topic: ‘Combatting Anti-Semitism At Ryerson University.’ Eitan’s organization has become the first student group to organize an event under the Israel Truth Week name; on March 14/13 Author Salomon Benzimra will present ‘The Jewish Peoples’ Rights To The Land of Israel’ on campus. More details on the Find An Event page. Welcome Eitan!

7. The Hamilton Jewish Federation promoted the ITW conference this week to their members. Many thanks!

8. The Toronto Zionist Council included an announcement re ITW on its front page thanks to a submission by Goldi Steiner, Chair of Canadians for Israel’s Legal Rights (CILR). Thank you Goldi and TZC.

9. The Canadian Jewish News also included an announcement about the ITW conference, again thanks to a submission by Goldi Steiner of CILR. (Goldi has been very busy supporting ITW!)

10. Rev. Joe Campbell is hosting an ITW event at Royal View Church in London, ON (site of the inaugural 2012 ITW conference). The event will be a screening of the documentary, ‘Precious Life,’ a story about an Israeli doctor who saves the life of a Palestinian child whose mother supports suicide bombers. More details on the Find An Event page. Reverend Joe will be blowing the shofar for us at the open of each day of the conference.

11. A Hamilton church has tentatively agreed to host a screening of ‘Precious Life’ on March 18th. Still working out details. Watch the Find An Event page.

There are other things happening behind the scenes that cannot be announced, but be assured that excitement is building as news of Israel Truth Week and our message spreads across provincial and international borders.

POSTED BY: Mark Vandermaas, Israel Truth Week, mark@israeltruthweek.org

New keynote finale for Israel Truth Week conference: world human rights leader Rev. Majed El Shafie

Due to family sickness, the keynote speaker for the Never Again Group (NAG) – sponsored Israel Truth Week Conference finale at McMaster  University, Tammi Rossman-Benjamin of the University of California, cannot be present, so the event has been moved to Victory International Church, and world human rights leader Rev. Majed El Shafie of One Free World International has stepped in to become the new keynote finale presenter. The NAG wish to convey their sincerest regrets to all those who were looking forward to hearing Tammi Rossman-Benjamin’s presentation about combatting campus anti-Semitism, and hope you will attend their new keynote finale…

The Never Again Group & Israel Truth Week present…

Rev. Majed El Shafie of One Free World International has graciously agreed to extend his time with us to accommodate a new evening session at Victory International Church. He will present his award-winning documentary ‘Freedom Fighter,’ following which he will participate in an extended question and answer session, followed by a ‘mingle’ session which will close the conference. This exciting new keynote finale session will take place at Victory during the evening of March 6th (Day 2), 6:30-7:00pm, doors open 6:00pm.  Please see the revised program for complete details.

ABOUT REV. MAJED EL SHAFIE: Rev. El Shafie is a former Muslim who was tortured and sentenced to die after converting to Christianity. He escaped to Israel and now, from Canada, he rescues other persecuted people, and travels the world’s hot spots speaking out against violence against innocents.

He has just returned from meeting numerous dignitaries in India, and he will be speaking at the United Nations this Thursday, Feb 28th at a conference organized by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, following which a ‘Draft International Convention for the Prevention of Incitement to Terror’ will be presented to the UN. His topic will be ‘Anti-Christian Incitement and Persecution.’ Other speakers include:

• Ambassador Ron Prosor, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations;
• Ambassador Dore Gold, former Permanent Representative of Israel to the UN, President of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
• Yossi Kuperwasser, Director-General of Israel Ministry of Strategic Affairs
• Prof. Gregory Gordon, University of North Dakota; former Legal Officer, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda

Israel Truth Week updates – Feb 16/13

Here are the latest updates for the Israel Truth Week Conference in Hamilton, March 5-6…

1. SHOBIE KAPOOR TO SPEAK: Very pleased to advise you that Shobie Kapoor, the young lady who led the charge to try to keep Omar Khadr out of Canada, co-founder of the Canadian Patriotic Society, has agreed to speak at the Israel Truth Week conference on Day 1 during the afternoon session. Her topic will be, ‘An East Indian-Canadian’s Case For Israel.’ She is an amazing woman with a beautiful heart and a determination to act. We are lucky to have her with us.

A new agenda is available on the conference page.

2. MEETINGS WITH JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS: The Never Again Group (sponsors of the McMaster U keynote finale for Tammi-Rossman-Benjamin of U of California) and I have had meetings with various Jewish organizations to introduce ourselves; all have given us warm welcomes. I do not know, as of this moment, whether they will be helping us to publicize this year’s conference, but I suspect by 2014 one or more will be on board. This is a long term project to build relationships and unity, and so patience is required.

2012 Conference VIDEO: Gary McHale – afternoon keynote

Our videography sponsor Just Right Media has just released the first video from the 2012 Israel Truth Week Conference. Gary McHale’s keynote speech for the afternoon session was a crowd favourite, and it is now available on video:

• Israel Truth Week Conference, March 21/12: Gary McHale speech: “Dr. King’s ‘Letter From Birmingham Jail’: A Blueprint for Victory Over Anti-Israelism and Anti-Semitism“
  [VIDEO, 39.42; NOTES, 13p]
• Israel Truth Week Conference, March 21/12: Conference feature page

This video of Gary’s speech inside a church is attracting praise from as far away as Manitoba from those who have watched it, and listened to his Biblical defence of Israel, the Biblical case against anti-Semitism, and his inspiring call to action — for Christians especially —  that we must be prepared to pay a price for justice and equality and the other values we profess to believe in. Spoken, of course, by a man who has more than earned the right to speak on the subject.

As someone who has worked side-by-side with Gary for 5 years, I can assure you that this is the real Gary McHale, as most people have never seen him, sharing the strength and motivation that comes from his Christian faith:

From one Caledonia supporter to Gary:

“That is the best delivery that I have heard you make. Clear, concise, to the point! You used wonderful phrases emphasizing the certainty of persecution if you confront injustice with the ugly truth.”