Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a personal letter of appreciation to United with Israel (UWI) founder Michael Gerbitz upon receiving his own copy of The Jerusalem Declaration, a global statement of support from over 500,000 signatories in 168 countries for a united Jerusalem as both the eternal capital of the Jewish People and the undivided capital of the State of Israel.
UWI, the world’s largest grassroots pro-Israel movement, published the Declaration in a thick, 1124-page hardcover book along with an introduction and the hundreds of thousands of names of the signatories.
In a letter addressed to Gerbitz, the prime minister wrote: “Thank you for the copy of The Jerusalem Declaration. It was most gratifying to see this tangible expression of the unwavering support of more than half a million of our friends from 168 countries around the world.
PM Netanyahu greets UWI Founder Michael Gerbitz at a media conference in Jerusalem (Photo: UWI)
“The people of Israel appreciate United with Israel’s advocacy, educational efforts and unflinching defense of the truth,” the letter concluded.
The book was published in May, just in time for the 50th anniversary celebration of the reunification of Jerusalem, which was liberated during the 1967 Six Day War. Gerbitz and members of the UWI staff presented a copy to Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat.
“I pinch myself every day to make sure it’s real,” Barkat told his visitors, expressing deep honor and gratitude to serve as Jerusalem’s top official.
During the summer, UWI met with Minister of Education and Diaspora Affairs Naftali Bennett and Speaker of the Knesset Yuli Edelstein, each of whom received a copy.
Upon hearing that UWI garnered support from every corner of the world, including Arab and Muslim nations, Edelstein quipped, “I wish we could do that at the United Nations.”
“Jerusalem is not only our history, but our destiny,” Bennett declared.
“Although half a million signatures is a significant milestone, and one worth celebrating, it is only the first step. Thankfully, global support for this historic undertaking continues to grow rapidly, and we are marching towards true international awareness of the underlying issue: Israel’s right to exist and the necessity of a strong and undivided Jerusalem as the foundation of the one and only Jewish homeland,” explained Gerbitz.
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat (L) and United with Israel founder Michael Gerbitz hold the book of 500,000 names of supporters of the Jerusalem Declaration. (Photo: UWI/Ruas)
Since then, the number of signatures has reached over 600,000and continues to grow.
“We’re aiming for a million signatures in support of a united Jerusalem, and it’s very realistic,” Gerbitz declared.
Several years ago, Prime Minister Netanyahu was honored with helping United with Israel achieve its first major milestone by becoming UWI’s one millionth Facebook fan.
The official statement from Prime Minister Netanyahu included a special congratulatory note to United with Israel for the “honor of being the one millionth Facebook fan!”
“It’s a great honor and also very humbling to enjoy strong support and encouragement from the Prime Minister in our efforts to advocate for Israel,” said Gerbitz.
“Jerusalem is our link to the past and our conduit to a bright future. It is our responsibility to spread the message that Jerusalem is simply non-negotiable and indivisible, and the outpouring of support that we continue to see every day online gives me hope that we are truly making a difference. And I think we are,” concluded Gerbitz.
By: United with Israel Staff