Nachum hosted Ari Kalker of Israel’s Im Tirtzu on JM in the AM to discuss the organization and their current fundraising campaign with Causematch.
From the Im Tirtzu website: “Im Tirtzu (IMTI) is a non-profit organization working to strengthen the values of Zionism in Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.
Established in 2006, IMTI has grown to become Israel’s largest and most influential grassroots Zionist organization. We occupy a unique space and play a unique role in Israeli society as an unwavering voice for the values of Zionism and the Jewish, democratic State of Israel.
Our mission concerning Zionism and its values has always been dual pronged: to advance the good and to confront the bad.
As such, we see ourselves playing a key role in the development of the next generation of committed and aware Zionist leaders of Israel. These future leaders are to be found largely on Israel’s campuses, and not surprisingly our presence is greatest there.
With 20 campus branches, 6,000 volunteer activists and the largest Hebrew-language social media following of any pro-Israel organization, Im Tirtzu has become an important force with our Seminars for Zionist Thought, the largest extra-curricular academic program in Israel, and our efforts combating anti-Zionist politicization in academia.
Simultaneously, we aim to protect Zionism when it comes under attack within Israel. Unknown to many is the fact that there are widespread efforts to delegitimize Israel from within, whether it is in the form of BDS or subverting sovereign policies.
Im Tirtzu has earned a widespread reputation for its fearless calling out of anti-Zionist Israeli NGOs funded by foreign governments and the New Israel Fund, who have been seeking to harm IDF soldiers and influence the policies and positions of the Israeli government through the back door.
Im Tirtzu also works closely with a variety of groups within Israeli society, including bereaved families of terrorism, wounded IDF veterans, and Israeli minorities who wish to integrate into Israeli society.
Our activities have been supported time and again by the significant majority of Israeli society and leading decision makers including the Prime Minister. Indeed, much of our credibility and impact stems from this strong connection we have with the values and sensibilities of the citizenry of Israel.
