Hi all,
My name is Phillip Graham and I am a first year accounting major student at the University of Texas at Austin. I’m a Christian and have been a strong supporter of Israel my whole life. I was fortunate enough to attend the Sderot Media Presentation given by Noam Bedein on 18 October 2010 in Garrison Hall on the UT campus. Before the presentation began I was already bombarded by absolutely shocking pro-Palestinian propaganda in the form of a handful (five of six) protestors with detestable signs. The message of the sings included comparing Israel to war criminals, comparing the Gaza Strip to the Warsaw Ghetto and concentration camps. We invited them inside to hear Noam speak but they refused at fist. They late came in about 15 minutes into in the presentation.
Mr. Bedein’s presentation took me on a heart wrenching journey to Sderot and threw me into the middle of the conflict through effective use of video showing the horror of the frequent rocket fire experienced in Sderot and other locations in southern Israel. I was moved to the verge of tears when I saw the children of Sderot singing Jewish hymns as the rocket explosion countdown ended. No child in the world should have to live in this environment. I was outraged and moved by the blatant disregards for human life shown by Hamas.
The event effectively drew attestation to an unseen and unreported problem that continues to this day in southern Israel near the border of the Israel-Gaza Strip border. I believe that it is important for Bedein’s message to be spread in the United States where anti-Israel sentiment can be found certain segments of society, which is spurn on by the negative portrayal on certain news stations in the United States. Antisemitism is not something that is just found coming from the dictator of Iran, for example, but can be subtly found in the news coverage of any Israel military conflict.
Dear Philip, What a great article! There are some people who are not interested in the truth. After corresponding with the University of Texas and later the Palestine Solidarity Organization, I sent a letter to the Austin newspaper propesting the depiction of Noam as a monster. It is young people such as yourself who will sway the world opinion in favor of Israel. You have a great year standing for God and for His people the Jews in their homeland (Israel). Blessings on you my brother! You have real courage!