Baruch Meiri (Maariv newspaper reporter)
Mr. Sammy Shamoon, the well-known businessman, arrived to the Hilton in Tel-Aviv on crutches, but we soon found out that his support to Israel in general and to the Iraqi Jews in particular is very firm - this does not need crutches...
Mr. Shamoon arrived at the Hilton Hotel together with few hundreds of quests to celebrate his being elected as an Honorary President of the Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center in Or-Yehuda. The Defense Minister Mr. Yitzhak Mordechai was an Honorary guest in this magnificent party.
The atmosphere in the decorated Hall of the Hilton was far from being an "Official atmosphere". Nearly all the participants knew each other and the feeling of an outsider guest was as if this was another family wedding party.
This atmosphere contributed a lot in drawing the people together and will, most probably, encourage Mr. Shamoon and many other guests to continue in developing the Center in Or-Yehuda.
The Center has become in the last years not only as "another museum", but a real spiritual center of the Iraqi Jews in Israel, a symbol of our cultural acclimati- zation and not only economical, in Israel.
The Chairman of the Center, ex-Minister Mordechai Ben-Porat, expressed very well this feeling: "We don't need festivities in the park in order to meet, we have the heritage Center in Or-Yehuda".
Ben-Porat founded the Center, a cornerstone which attracts thousands of visitors, including school children. He expressed his hope that the dream to build the second storey in this narrow building will come true.
When conferring the Honorary President degree, the Chairman explained the reasons for the general assembly recognized Mr. Shamoon's wide social contribution, whether in Israel or in England, to the entire Jewish people in all the communities, his warmth, the aesthetic attitude he is blessed with and his future plans to develop the Center and complete building.
It is not a secret that the expectations built on Mr. Sammy Shamoon, as the person who would fulfill this dream, are great.
Shamoon's great ability need no proof. Suffice it to note his great financial talent, when he wisely purchased "Yakhin-Hakal" Company in spite of all the obstacled which were thrown in his way and changed it into al flourshing company. "This is the kind of determination characteristic of the Iraqi Jews. When they believe in something, when they desire to achieve the goal - they inevitably do so", claim the "experts" in Iraqi Jewry affairs...
As mentioned, hundreds of people participated in this pary. Deputy Chairman Mr. Arieh Shemesh and General Manager, Mr. Yigal Loushi together with Chairman Mr. Mordechai Ben-Porat received the guests with great warmth.Among the guests there were in addition to the Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai, Members of Knesset Raanan Cohen and Ephraim Sneh, former Members of Knesset Prof. Shimon Shitrit, Nozhat Kassab, David Mena, Meir Amit and Yehezkel Zakkai, public and business people, former Chief of General Staff Moshe Levy and his brother Dr. Baruch Levy, the owner of "Paz" Mr. Beno Sadik, H.E. the Egyptian Ambassador Mr. Mohamed Abdel Aziz Bassiouny with his wife Najwa and H.E. the Ambassador of Portugal Mr. Goeh Rossa. The former Head of the Mossad Mr. Meir Amit, the operations coordinator in South Lebanon Mr. Uri Lubrani; Prof. Yitshak Halbrecht; Commander of Police Yair Yitzhaki; former Ambassador Dr. Ovadia Sofer were also present.
With the help of the crutches and friends, Mr. Sammy Shamoon succeeded in going up the stage and with his usual modesty he said: "As you know you cannot add more water to a full glass. The water will simply get spilled. But when you add a petal to a glass full of water - the water will not get spilled but the petal will beautify the glass".
The tranquilizing words of Mr. Yitzhak Mordechai was added to the calm atmosphere full of hope. "I fully believe that negoti-ations with Syria will start next year, and with the end of these negotiations we will achieve the longed for peace". He sees the solidarity of the people as central value in our life. A value which forms the foundation and infrastructure of our security.
For a moment, that's how it seemed, together with the Defense Minister also hundreds of the participants looked up to heaven and joined him: "I pray for better days, when our soldiers will not need to shed their blood in Lebanon. Days of real peace". Amen!
The artistic part of the event included the well-known singer and composer, Avihu Medina, and the Defense Minister joined him in the song "Shabehi Yerushalayim"... This impressive function was orginized and directed by Mr. Meir Dekel, former Deputy Director of the Israeli Government Information Center.