Itsik Moshe
Itsik Moshe (Hebrew: איציק משה) was born on December 31, in 1959 and is currently President of the Israel-Georgia Chamber of Business and the founder and Chairman of Israeli House, the organization concentrated on Israeli Hasbara in the former USSR. Formerly he was the representative of the Jewish Agency in 5 USSR countries and today continues de facto representation of Israel, after he achieved significant successes while being de jure representative.
Biography
He immigrated to Israel in 1971 from Georgia with his parents Anna and Ruben, a religious Zionist family. After rapid absorption, he continuous studding in religious school of Torah in Petah Tikva. He was elected as the Student Council chairman. After graduating from the high school he served in the air forces, as part of the reserve and was named an honorary soldier. As part of his academic studies at the University of Tel Aviv, he received two bachelor's degrees in sciences of education and technologies. In 1987, during his studies he became the Chairman of Student Unity and editor of newsletter "Meitar" at the university. Despite career advancement in the department of communication, Itsik Moshe left his job in 1988 in favor of the Zionist challenge offered to him by WUJS (World Union of Jewish students) for the purpose of introducing the organization to the Soviet Union. In 1989, during the Soviet regime he established the first mission of WUJS in the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi and after that in other countries of the Soviet Union. In 1989, he was elected as the first representative of the Jewish Agency in Soviet Union and established first international official representation center in Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia. Until 1992 Itsik Moshe served as the head of the Jewish Agency Representation Centers in South Caucasus and Central Asia. In 1995 achieved the highest professional role and became the director of the central mission of Jewish Agency located in Moscow. This office supervised all other representation centers and representatives in the CIS. Since 1996 Mr. Moshe serves as President of the Israel-Georgia Chamber of Business – the organization which has already become the main bridge between the countries in the fields of culture, business and public relations. At the same time, he raised money for Israel in Europe and Canada on behalf of Keren Hayesod. In 2012, he expressed his protest in media and criticized publicly the decision N67/19 of the United Nations General Assembly, where Georgia, along with 138 countries, voted in favor of the Palestinian side. After this decision the idea of opening of Hasbara campaign has been created. In 2013 he founded Israeli House, which represents the organization of Israeli Hasbara in the Former Soviet Union and aims to strengthen the connections between the friendly states. At the same time, he is the Chairman of the Association of Friends of the Museum of Prehistory located in the Upper Galilee and invited member of the Knesset Lobby for the Promotion of a Solution for the Israeli-Arab Conflict. Itsik Moshe is married to Alice Moshe and father of 2 children, Yamit Moskovich (Hi-tech specialist) and Yaniv Moshe (businessman).
Initiatives and activities
In 1975 he arranged the march of the youth from the center of the country to the settlement of Elon Moreh. In 1988 he established the first branch of WUJS in the Soviet Union. In 1989 Mr. Moshe conducted the first international conference of Jewish students in Israel as the part of WUJS activities. In the conference delegations from the Soviet Union participated for the first time. In 1989 he established the first representation center of the Jewish Agency in Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia. In 1990 Itsik Moshe arranged the first historic conference in Tbilisi, in the period of “Iron Curtain”, while this kind of activities were prohibited by the totalitarian Soviet rule. Delegations of Jewish organizations from 46 cities of the Soviet Union attended the conference. In 1990-1992 5 Representation Centers of the Jewish Agency were opened in FSU (South Caucasus and Central Asia). In 1991 he supported establishing two representation centers of JOINT in the Caucasus. In 1993 he founded the group of friends of Israel and the Jewish Agency in participation of the local governments of post-soviet states. In 1996 Itsik Moshe established the first bi-national chamber of business in Georgia, the Israel-Georgia Chamber of Business (tourism, economy and representing Israeli interests). In 2013 in cooperation with the Knesset members he established pilot project of Israeli House (in former Soviet Union) which later in 2016 became member of EAI - European Alliance for Israel. In 2016 he conducted the first international forum of Hasbara in Tbilisi and introduced the model of developing 100 Hasbara representation centers around the globe without Israeli Governmental expenditures. Furthermore, he was the organizer of 15 economic forums between Israel and Georgia in order to promote cooperation between the City Halls of Jerusalem and Tbilisi, as well as between Governmental authorities of Israel and Georgia, to deepen working links between Georgian Parliament and the Knesset. In 2017 a cooperation between Israeli House, the Ministry of Culture of Georgia and the AEPJ - The European Association of Jewish Heritage has been launched regarding the promoting of Jewish Heritage in Georgia.
The conception of Israeli House was successfully introduced in European countries and international organizations.
Typical views
The philosophy of his life is based on three main points:
- Israeli and Jewish activities abroad - under the activities he consider the necessity of reforms in the Jewish world after the Great Allyiah.
- Israeli Hasbara - strengthening Hasbara policy led by the slogan "Let’s do and let them hear!" deepening the links with friendly countries without mediators and parochial organizations of the same ethnic origin or nationality.
- The necessity of full Israelization - Itsik Moshe considers the ethnic gap and antipathy as the greatest challenge and danger to Israel society, which still continuously develops in the newly repatriated groups in Israel and stays unsolvable. He sees the danger in Particularism and is against it, because Mr. Moshe believes, that only a whole community can build a country. He also believes, that "complete disengagement from the culture and lifestyle of the past" is the only way to reach complete Israelization and Absorption.
His opinions in these fields create an atmosphere of confrontation with “provincial activists”, Georgian Jews and other groups, as well as International Jewish Organizations (which he represented in the past) and institutions and business persons, who use the existing cultural ghettos as the means of achieving their political success.
