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LAKELAND | By most accounts, Israel has been dealing with a series of political crises in recent years, culminating in this month's elections. The result was a badly divided parliament, and negotiations have so far failed to produce a governing coalition.
But the divisive politics is a symptom of a deeper crisis in Israel, one of values and leadership, according to two Israelis who are trying to develop a new generation of political leaders and expand Israel's laws on religious toleration.
Calev Myers and Eeki Elner, co-founders of the Alliance for the Future of Israel (AFFI), will speak about their work and the current situation in Israel at a benefit dinner at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Southeastern University. Tickets are $250 per person and can be obtained by calling 583-7225.
The alliance is an American nonprofit that supports two Israeli non-government organizations, Myers' Jerusalem Institute of Justice and Elner's Israeli Leadership Institute. In separate telephone interviews from Israel last week, Myers and Elner said the vision of the founders of Israel is being eroded through political corruption and discrimination against Jews who are not Orthodox, which discourages Jews from emigrating to Israel.
REMEMBERING FOUNDERS
"The visionaries who founded the nation were men of very high integrity. They knew the importance of self-sacrifice and...