ZOA President Morton A. Klein and ZOA Florida Executive Director Sharona Whisler met yesterday with Israel’s Florida consul general and deputy consul general. The discussion centered largely on Klein urging the Consul general to urge Jewish leaders and rabbis to publicly support the Israeli government’s opposition to opening a U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem for the terrorist dictatorship of the Palestinian Authority. Klein emphasized that Israeli Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked urged Jewish leaders and rabbis in two separate meetings that it would “definitely be helpful and important to PUBLICLY oppose this U.S. consulate for Palestinian Arabs to be opened in Jerusalem.

Whisler raised the issue of the Israeli Consul strongly supporting a campaign to get universities to support the IHRA definition of antisemitism.

Also discussed was ZOA recommendations on how to increase support for Israel in America. Klein recommended Israel should promote the truth of the propaganda lies about occupation, Jewish communities in Judea/Samaria, Jerusalem, and Palestinian statehood, as well as promoting the truth of the terrorist dictatorship of the Palestinian Authority, and the fact that the Palestinian Arab war against Israel is not about land or Palestinian statehood, but is an ideological/religious war against the very existence of the Jewish State; the Palestinian Authority’s goal is to destroy Israel. There was also discussion of the existential danger Iran poses to Israel and how to deal with it.

Consul General Maor Elbaz-Starinsky (second from right), ZOA National President Morton A. Klein (second from left), Deputy Consul Mike Driquez (left), and ZOA Florida Executive Director Sharona Whisler

(From left) Meeting with Consulate Director of Media Ariel Roman Harri, Consulate Director of Academic and Community Affairs Carol Kaplan, ZOA Florida Executive Director Sharona Whisler, and ZOA National President Mort & Rita Klein

Consulate Director of Academic and Community Affairs Carol Kaplan with Sharona, Mort & Rita