Robert Singer, Chairman of the Center for Jewish Impact (CJI), and former CEO of the World Jewish Congress (WJC), speaking at the Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference held at the Friends of Zion Media Center in Jerusalem, pointed out that as Israel approaches its 80th anniversary, it remains a land of paradoxes. “We are a state that is still fighting for its very survival, while at the same time demonstrating extraordinary vitality, resilience, and creativity,” he pointed out.
Singer pointed out that the organization that he heads was created to emphasize this story. “The mission of the center,” he explained, “is to connect Israeli society to the international community through people.” The Center for Jewish Impact builds bridges between Israel’s civil society and the world through diplomatic salons that bring ambassadors into dialogue with Israel’s private, public, academia, non-profit, and government sectors.
After October 7, he noted, when communities were shuttered, it was ordinary citizens, NGOs, and volunteers that mobilized first. A majority of Israelis felt that civil society organizations contributed more to Israel’s recovery than the government.
Singer said that the contribution of Israel’s civil society is of great importance to diplomacy as well. “When foreign leaders, diplomats, and opinion shapers engage directly with the Israeli society, with survivors, first responders, doctors, educators, and young leaders, they see Israel not through headlines, but through human experiences. That is how trust is built, and that is how understanding is forged.
“The antidote to hate against Israel is not louder slogans. It is pragmatic conversations, direct, grounded, and focused on solutions.” Singer added that this requires a dual effort of diplomacy along with civil society, calling it people-to-people diplomacy. “Civil society opens doors. Traditional diplomacy closes the deals.”
Written in collaboration with CJI