Friends of the Israel Defense Forces

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Founded in the United States in 1981, Friends of the Israel Defence forces (FIDF) is an American non-profit organisation devoted to providing various forms of support to Israeli soldiers. Its headquarters is based in New York and it is the US branch of the Israel based organisation the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel's Soliders. The organisation provides the following description of its activities on its webpage: [1]

FIDF initiates and helps support educational, social, cultural and recreational programs and facilities for the young men and women soldiers of Israel who defend the Jewish homeland. FIDF also supports the families of fallen soldiers.

The IDF has stated that the FIDF's most important role is in improving the image of Israel and the IDF internationally. [2]

FIDF encourages Jews outside of Israel to serve in the IDF. According to an article in Arutz Sheva 7:

"About 2,800 lone soldiers from around the world - 800 of them from the US - serve in the IDF, and about 900 enlist every year. Most of them are assisted and guided by the Lone Soldiers Program that was jointly initiated by Nefesh B'Nefesh and FIDF, which accompanies lone soldiers' absorption into the IDF and the state of Israel...The soldiers are eligible for financial assistance, personal accompaniment and guidance, and gift packages every three months. Upon their discharge from the IDF, thay are offered guidance on selecting their field of employment and studies, as well as work placement." [3]

The FIDF has provided figures according to which some 2,500 IDF soldiers are non-Israeli with the largest contingent, of 740 soldiers, from the United States.[4]

The organisation works with the Nefesh B'Nefesh organisation to facilitate the arrival and integration of new Olim to Israel and organises welcoming events at Ben Gurion airport. [5]

During Operation Protective Edge in 2014 the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel's Soldiers received some NIS 2.5m from various supporting organisations including FIDF. [6] During the conflict the FIDF organised a comedy event led by New York comedians Ari Teman, Danny Cohen and Benji Lovitt at an Iron Dome missile battery with the proceeds of the event going to FIDF. [7] The event was part of the comedy troupe's Rocket Shelter Comedy tour, with the catchphrase, "Stuck in a bomb shelter? We'll come to you." [8]

In August 2014 Howard Gases, director of the New Jersey Chapter of Friends of the IDF commented in reference to the lone soldiers programme that:

"Over the years, people realize that they need to support the IDF... For a strong Israel to survive, we need a strong military and a happy military."[9]

In September 2014 reality TV star and music producer Simon Cowell donated $150,000 dollars to the FIDF.[10] Cowell had previously donated $50,000 to the organisation when he attended the Friends of the IDF Western Region Gala in Beverly Hills in October 2013.[11]

Singer Barabara Streisand is also a supporter of the FIDF and has performed at FIDF events.[12]

Singer Stevie Wonder had been due to perform at an FIDF gala in December 2012 but pulled out after being asked not to by a number of organisations.[13] The singer Chaka Khan did perform at the event which raised some $14m for the FIDF.[14]

The Western Region/Los Angeles chapter of the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) sponsor an annual 'Saving Lives Gala' to raise funds for the FIDF.[15] A gala held in New York in March 2014 and attended by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz raised around $20 million dollars. The event was co-hosted by Fox News commentator Monica Crowley. The gala is held annually and at the 2014 event a video message from Binyamin Netanyahu was screened in which he thanked the FIDF for its support for the Israeli army:

"Our army is a complement to Israel's sovereignty... There are those who seek to extinguish our lives. Anti-Semitism always changes its garland. But we have resolved to fight back. Thank you for helping the IDF fight back and secure a Jewish future."[16]

Another gala event held in Florida in March 2014 raised more than $3.3 million for the organisation. [17] The New York Real Estate Division of the FIDF began an annual golf tournament in 2012 which raised $270,000 in 2013 and $250,000 in 2012.[18]

According to the Jerusalem post the FIDF together with the The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews awarded over NIS 57 million to low-income soldiers in Israel between 2008 and 2013.[19] The two organisations declared that they would provide some NIS 12 million to 8,000 Israeli soldiers in 2014.[20]

In collaboration with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews and the Israel Cultural Center of Korea the FIDF has sought to develop support for the IDF within South Korea which has a large Christian population.[21]

Through the FIDF's "Adopt a Brigade project" [22] Oil Refineries Ltd. Israel's largest integrated refining and petrochemical group, has sponsored the Hatmar military unit. [23] In 2012 the IDF provided the following description of the programme:


[24]


"as part of the project, 158 combat units are adopted by a company or a sponsor, providing a close connection and an annual 100,000 NIS, for three years. This is one of the largest community service projects in Israel, adding up to 16 million NIS a year. Since 2005, approximately 72 million NIS were transferred to the IDF. Additional donations of money and products were made, adding up to approximately 2.3 million NIS. Adopt a Fighter is the signature project of Friends of the IDF in which leading commercial companies in the Israeli economy adopt combat units, in the process forming an enriching, helpful partnership between the business sector and the combat units. The goal of the initiative is embrace combat soldiers who are engaged in daily fighting for long periods of time, risking their lives for the security of the State of Israel."[25]

In August 2012 Tzipi Livni, the Israeli Minister of Justice, spent a week giving talks and interviews in the United States on behalf of the FIDF. [26]

The FIDF has organised trips, accompanied by IDF soldiers, to Nazi death camps in Poland for financial contributors to the organisation. [27]

As well as aiding IDF soldiers the FIDF has provided support to the families of the South Lebanese Army - Israel's proxy force in southern Lebanon during the South Lebanon Conflict. [28]

Programmes

IMPACT! Scholarship Program - throught this programme the FIDF provides academic scholarships to members of the IDF: "For the academic year 2012-2013, FIDF granted 3,400 scholarships and sponsored students at over 90 institutions."[29]

People

National Director and CEO - Maj. Gen (Res.) Yitzhak (Jerry) Gershon

Chief Executive Officer - Mr. Alan E. Scholnick

Chief Financial Officer - Ron Aloni

Director of Operations and Special Events - Michael Sever

National Board Members

Nily Falic - Chairman * Arthur Stark - Chairman Emeritus * | Larry J. Hochberg - Chairman Emeritus * | Marvin Josephson - Chairman Emeritus | Marc Jason - Vice Presidents * | Dr. Michael Kalisman - Vice Presidents* | Morris Silverman - Secretary * | Stephen Wayne Rubin, Esq - Legal Counsel* | Ricki Alon | Harvey Axelrod | Gary Balter | Sammy Bar-Or | Ronny Ben-Josef | Scott Black | Alan Brody | Robert Cohen | Ruth & Leo David | Oscar Feldenkreis | Tony Felzen | William Fox | Al Frank | Pat Frank | Martin E. Franklin | Erika Glazer | Fred Gluckman * | Harry Gross * | Daniel J. Hyman | Jerry Kaplan | Dr. Shmuel Katz | Shari Kaufman | Alon Kaufman | Jared Kushner | Richard Kwal | Avi Lerner | Israel Levy | Nathan Lewinger | Dr. Herbert London | Nicole Lowenstein | Gerald Mizel | Sam Moshe | Michael Nachman | Jorde Nathan | Soraya Nazarian | Younes Nazarian | Ann Newman | Melinda Lowell Paltrow | Marc Perlman | Robert Polak | Peter Reisman | Israel Roizman | Tony Rubin | Haim Saban * | Monica Sasson | Steve Schultz | Robin Selati | Benny Shabtai | Fela Shapell | David Shapell | Gary Shiffman | Dr. Robert Shillman | Joseph Sieber | Ron Simms | Norman Smith | Garry Sobel | Lloyd Sokoloff | Rabbi Peter Weintraub | Zev Weiss | Michael Werner | Dr. Phillip Werthman | David Wiener | Shahram Yaghoubzadeh | Ofer Yardeni | Robert Zarnegin | Arie Zweig

  • National Executive Committee Member[30]

Notable Supporters

Bruce C.Abrams, President LR Development Co., Prism Mortgage Co. [31]


Funding and finances

In 2012 the total assets of the organisation amounted to $126,649,916[32]

Since 2000 FIDF has declined to reveal the names of its foreign grantees.[33]

Notes

  1. ↑ 'About FIDF', Friends of the Israel Defence Forces Website, accessed 17 September 2014
  2. ↑ States News Service, 'FIDF REPRESENTATIVES MEET WITH THE SOLDIERS THEY SUPPORT IDF EXPRESSES ITS APPRECIATION FOR THE ORGANIZATION ON ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY, AS AN EXCEPTIONALLY LARGE DELEGATIONS VISITS MILITARY BASES AND MEETS WITH COMBAT SOLDIERS', States News Service, 2 May 2012, accessed 28 September 2014.
  3. ↑ Gil Ronen and Tova Dvorin, 'New Wave of Olim Inspired by Fallen Lone Soldiers', Arutz Sheva 7, 7 August 2014, accessed 27 September 2014.
  4. ↑ Erin Burnett, 'Rebels Hand Over MH17 Black Boxes To Investigators; Death Toll Climbing in the Middle East; Interview With Rep. Eliot Engel', CNN, 21 July 2014, accessed 27 September 2014.
  5. ↑ States News Service, '127 VOLUNTEERS FROM NORTH AMERICA TO SOON ENLIST IN THE IDF', States News Service, 14 August 2012, accessed 28 September 2014.
  6. ↑ Sharon Udasin, Lidar Grave-Lazi, Lahav Harkov, Judy Seigel, and Ben Hartman, 'News in Brief', Jerusalem Post, 7 August 2014, accessed 27 September 2014.
  7. ↑ Jacob Goldtsein, 'Comedians bring laughs to the front lines', Jerusalem Post, 3 August 2014, accessed 27 September 2014.
  8. ↑ 'Comedians bring laughs to the front lines', Jpost.com, 2 August 2014, accessed 27 August 2014.
  9. ↑ Erik Larsen, 'Parents in N.J. Pray for Israeli Soldier Son', Gannett News Service, 3 August 2014, accessed 27 September 2014.
  10. ↑ Andrea Peyser, 'Stars of David Win', The New York Post, 4 August 2014, accessed 27 September 2014.
  11. ↑ Ben Hartman, Jerusalem Post staff, Khaled Abu Toameh, 'News in brief', Jerusalem Post, 17 November 2013, accessed 27 September 2014.
  12. ↑ Marianne Garvey, Brian Niemietz, Lachlan Cartwright, and Molly Friedman, 'Babs voice still rich? Bank on it', Daily News (New York), 12 November 2013, accessed 27 September 2014.
  13. ↑ Jerusalem Post staff, Michal Toiba, 'Roger Waters: Israel is running an 'apartheid regime', Jerusalem Post, 24 March 2013, accessed 27 September 2014.
  14. ↑ Jerusalem Post staff, 'Friends of the IDF gala raises $14m. American Idol winner Ruben Studdard and Chaka Khan perform', Jerusalem Post, 9 December 2012, accessed 28 September 2014.
  15. ↑ Eagles\'Wings Ministries, 'Robert Stearns to Address Prestigious FIDF Gala', Christian Newswire, 31 March 2014, accessed 27 September 2014.
  16. ↑ Maya Shwayder, 'FIDF raises $20 million at New York gala', Jerusalem Post, 13 March 2014, accessed 27 September 2014.
  17. ↑ 'She Said Yes', Jerusalem Post, 2 March 2014, accessed 27 September 2014.
  18. ↑ Maya Shwayder, 'FIDF raises funds at annual golf event', Jerusalem Post, 12 September 2013, accessed 27 September 2014.
  19. ↑ Danielle Ziri, Yaakov Lappin, Sharon Udasin, Gil Hoffman, Jerusalem Post staff, 'News in Brief', Jerusalem Post, 19 August 2013, accessed 27 September 2014.
  20. ↑ 'Pro-Israel groups to help IDF soldiers in need', Jpost.com, 19 August 2013, accessed 27 September 2014.
  21. ↑ 'International Fellowship of Christians and Jews Launches Asian Affiliate in South Korea', PR Newswire, September 11 2012, accessed 28 September 2014.
  22. ↑ FIDF Website Adopt a Brigade. Accessed 28 September 2014.
  23. ↑ 'Oil Refineries Ltd: Oil Refineries Announces Results for Second Quarter 2012', PR Newswire Europe, 13 August 2012, accessed 28 September 2014.
  24. ↑ Companies in the UK Kemble, Julian Philip. Accessed 3 September 2014.
  25. ↑ States News Service, '158 IDF COMBAT UNITS ADOPTED BY LEADING COMMERCIAL COMPANIES AS PART OF THE ADOPT A FIGHTER PROJECT LED BY THE AWIS, THE COMPANIES PROVIDE ANNUAL DONATIONS AS WELL AS SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE TO COMBAT SOLDIERS', States News Service, 21 June 2012, accessed 28 September 2014.
  26. ↑ Gil Hoffman and Yoni Dayan, 'Israel should not be issue in US election. Former Kadima head criticizes Netanyahu, Romney', Jerusalem Post, 9 August 2012, accessed 28 September 2012.
  27. ↑ States News Service, 'FIDF DELEGATION VISITS IAF AIRBASE IAF CHIEF TO FIDF MEMBERS: WE KNOW WE WILL NOT STAND ALONE', States News Service, 24 April 2012, accessed 28 September 2014.
  28. ↑ Gil Hoffman, 'SLA refugee children still await educational framework', Jerusalem Post, 10 July 2000, accessed 29 September 2014.
  29. ↑ FIDF Website Impact. Accessed 29 September 2014.
  30. ↑ 'Our Board', "Friends of the Israel Defence Forces Website", accessed 17 September 2014
  31. ↑ Crain's Chicago Business, 'WHO's WHO: PART 1', Crain's Chicago Business, 7 September 1998, accessed 29 September 2014.
  32. ↑ Friends of the Israel Defence Forces Financial Statements and Auditor's Report December 31 2012, accessed 17 September 2014
  33. ↑ 'IRS Rules Allow Charities To Say Little About Money Sent Overseas', The Forward, 12 April 2013, accessed 27 September 2014.
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