STANDWITHUS LAUNCHES U.S. SPEAKING TOUR FOR ISRAELI SOLDIERS IN FEBRUARY-MARCH

(February 18, 2010) – StandWithUs, the international Israel education organization is launching a U.S. speaking tour for Israeli soldiers who will recount their personal experiences of serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) including the 2009 attack on Hamas in Gaza. The four soldiers tour throughout February and March in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Wisconsin, Seattle, Philadelphia, Connecticut and San Jose, CA.

They are part of a group that provides video testimony at (www.soldiersspeakout.com) highlighting their personal accounts of the IDF’s moral code. StandWithUs created the website in response to IDF members in its student programs who felt they had to speak out. This independent initiative is not coordinated with either the IDF or the Israeli Government.

Explains Roz Rothstein, international director of StandWithUs, “we created this website because a few isolated allegations from ‘anti-war’ Israeli soldiers are sometimes being used to defame the IDF. Yet the IDF has over 700,000 citizen soldiers and reservists who try to live up to it’s high ethical standards. The IDF impartially judges all alleged violations, and punishes offenders.”

The soldiers will share experiences rarely told by the international media.

WEST COAST:

Inon
Inon began his army service as a trainee in a combat unit one month before turning 19 years old. He became an officer and led 35 soldiers in combat.

Lior
Lior is 26 and studies Law and Finance at university. He served in the army for four years, enlisting at the height of the Palestinian Intifada (uprising). He rejoined his unit to spend 14 days fighting against Hamas during the recent campaign in Gaza.

EAST COAST:

Yoav
Yoav served as a Platoon Sergeant in a special forces combat unit of the Israeli Air Force. He served for four years and took part in numerous anti-terrorist operations.

Avi
Avi is currently pursuing his BA in Middle Eastern studies. He was a commander in a paratroop brigade and fought in the recent campaign against Hamas in Gaza.

“We had no shortage of volunteers for this tour,” remarks StandWithUs Israel Director Michael Dickson, “Many feel that the media has often been skewed. Many soldiers feel a deep sense of injustice when this happens, including those who risked their own lives and lost friends in Gaza to protect Palestinian civilians. These young soldiers recognize that their service is vital to a country like Israel, which is constantly endangered by terrorists and hostile neighbors.

“All the soldiers we met illustrate the IDF’s moral code with first-hand experiences. The media may not always report it, but by putting the soldiers’ stories on the Internet, they can speak to people directly. I anticipate that there will be many more soldiers speaking out,” predicts Dickson.

The Soldiers Speak Out website is at www.soldiersspeakout.com

·        The site officially launched Sunday, March 29, 2009

·        The soldiers are prepared to conduct interviews by request – please email info@standwithus.com or mdickson@standwithus.com