Surprises at the Jerusalem Conference

Everyone loves Tzipi Hotovely, the Likud MK that absolutely lights up every room into which she walks. She's passionate in her love of Eretz Yisrael and she's a good friend to the residents of Judea and Samaria. Tzipi wants Israeli law to reign in Yesha, and wants Israeli citizens to be granted full citizenship. She doesn't want Judea and Samaria annexed to Israel. No! It's already part of Israel. She just wants that to be acknowledged and formalized.

These were her words at the Seventh Annual Jerusalem Conference yesterday. The Conference, which brings together great thinkers, national leaders, professors, rabbis, politicians, generals, journalists and foreign dignitaries, is the place to hear thought-provoking discourse about the future of the State of Israel and the Jewish People.

That's why folks jammed in to the main conference room to hear Tzipi Hotovely speak, as part of a panel with Minister Benny Begin, Hon. Yoram Ettinger (Former Minister for Congressional Affairs at Israel's Embassy in Washington), Palestine Media Watch director Itamar Marcus, Channel 2 news commentator Ehud Ya'ari and National Union's Prof. Arieh Eldad.

The audience thrilled to Hotovely's call for the end to the occupation over 300,000 Jews in Judea and Samaria and her adamant demand that Yesha residents be given full rights and recognition, just like the rest of their brethren inside the green line.

Thunderous applause broke out when Hotovely said it's time to end the Sug Bet (2nd Class) treatment of the Jews of Judea and Samaria.

And that's why the crowd was shocked when Tzipi said that along with the Israelization of the Jews of Judea and Samaria, she believes Israel should give full citizenship to the Arabs of Yesha. In the video I made of the Conference, you can actually hear people exclaim, "WHAT!!", when she made her announcement. I even think my camera shook a bit at that.

MK Hotovely said that giving the Arabs citizenship would give them a 30% minority vote, but at the same time, Israel has to concentrate on bringing another million Jews to Israel.

The Jerusalem Conference always provides a few surprises. This surely was one of them.

It's still early and you can still be part of this yearly historic event - Hotel Regency (formerly the Hyatt Regency), Jerusalem.

If you can't make it, you can watch the conference right from your own computer screen, http://www.jerusalemconference.com/eng/. Don't miss it.

To watch Tzipi Hotovely speak about the future of Judea and Samaria, click on http://voices-magazine.com/voices-videos.php?id=110.