‘We need you more than ever’

BEIT GUVRIN - Israel needs Jewish youngsters to visit the country today more than ever, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told an international group of youths in a speech Sunday.

Earlier, the government decided to invest USD 50 million dollar annually in a bid to bring Jewish youngsters from across the world to visit Israel through the Jewish Agency.

The Jewish Agency is set to also invest USD 50 million in the venture, with another USD 100 million to be received from participants in the program

Sharon delivered his speech at the inauguration of the “Masa” project and was received warmly by close to 5,000 young Jews from around the world.

However, the evening was marred by pullout objectors who yelled out anti-disengagement slogans during Sharon’s speech.

‘We need you all the time’

In his address, Sharon said he has a dream to bring every Jew in the world to Israel for a visit.

“I want to set an objective - have the youngsters live here for at least a year,” he said.

“We need you all the time, and today we need you more than ever,” the prime minister told the cheering crowd.

However, shortly after Sharon began his speech, a youngster lifted a poster proclaiming, “A Jew doesn’t expel a Jew,” while girls from France yelled out the same message and lifted orange ribbons, associated with the anti-pullout campaign.

Security guards promptly removed the protesters from the venue, while Sharon continued his speech unabated.

Meanwhile, officials are expecting the arrival of more than 8,000 Jewish youngsters in the framework of the project.