Aggies United for Israel will have its premiere event, Coalition of Affirmation, a reception to unite pro-Israel faculty and students and to celebrate Israel's 60th anniversary Tuesday.
Aggies United for Israel was founded this semester by Kate Putman and Brady Black after they attended an event in Washington, D.C., hosted by the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Putman, a freshman political science major, said the purpose of the organization "is to serve as an opportunity for students who are politically concerned with Middle East issues to exchange ideas, experiences and thoughts about Israel, the Middle East and Zionism.
"We currently have a five-person cadre who all work together to plan events and discuss what needs to be done on campus. We are interested in increasing our numbers next semester, but for now, we just work with the five officers we have."
Putman said the officers have attended three events in Washington, D.C., to discuss the growing issues between Israel and the United States, and have since come up with several ideas to increase awareness on campus.
In March, the group had a movie night at the Chabad Jewish Student Center. The Coalition of Affirmation reception will be the group's first major event.
Coral Zelon, treasurer of Aggies United for Israel, said this is the first of many events that they hope will increase the student's motivation to be politically active on issues that affect their lives.
The group sent invitations to student leaders to attend the reception to learn about the relationship between the U.S. and Israel, and take what they have learned back to their own organizations, said Zelon, a freshman biomedical sciences major.
At the reception, student leaders, professors and a few community members will view the short movie, "President and Prime Ministers" and hear from a representative from the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, followed by a question-and-answer session.
Putman said she hopes the event will help educate more people on the issues facing Israel, encourage them to be more active on campus and understand how crucial the U.S.-Israel relationship is in contemporary politics.
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