“In the community of Barkan, near my home, there is a place where Jews and Arabs work together with equal rights for all. However, rather than bringing peace, it brings war and blood. We lost two people, both parents to small children, who were murdered by an Arab terrorist in Barkan.”

So began the lecture by Attorney Nati Rom, Founder of the ‘Lev HaOlam’ Organization, in Brug, Switzerland. The lecture was part of a series of conferences organized throughout Switzerland by the organization.

In the conferences, which were filled to standing room only, Rom told the story of the Jewish pioneers in Judea and Samaria and the ‘situation on the ground’ as he describes it. ‘Lev HaOlam,’ the organization founded by Rom, was created in order to fight the global boycott of Judea and Samaria. While, many supermarkets boycott or mark products from Judea and Samaria, ‘Lev HaOlam’ works to break the walls of the boycott by marketing products from Judea and Samaria directly to citizens all of the world.

The organization, which is in contact with thousands of supporters all over the world, sends packages every month with products from Judea and Samaria to citizens in over 40 countries including many faraway places like Malaysia and Papua New Guinea.

From lecture
From lectureLev Haolam

In the latest lectures given by Rom in many towns in Switzerland, he explains that hundreds of participants came yearning to hear the true story of the events shown on their television screens. During his flight to Switzerland, Rom learned of the terror attack in Barkan and revised his lecture to include the recent tragedy. “I show them the simple truth: They see Arabs- women, men, and children, going to work and playing without fear, just as normal lives are supposed to look. In contrast, they see our children bring brought to school in bullet proof vehicles and adults having to carry weapons with them at all times.” Rom continued by explaining to the audience the struggles that residents of Judea and Samaria face every day. Among others, he highlighted the signs placed on roads leading to certain areas in Judea and Samaria. The signs state in red ‘entry is forbidden to Jews and is dangerous to their lives.’ Rom explains, “For the first time, those in attendance realize that there is indeed a violation of human rights in this region- just it’s in the opposite direction than they thought.”

The many attendees that fill the conference halls don’t remain apathetic. Rene, one participant in a conference in Switzerland, said “I oppose the BDS groups. They say Israel is a ‘cancer’ and call for its destruction. Moreover, boycotting Israel is hypocritical! The BDS groups should invest their energy in ending the hatred by the Palestinians. The world must recognize that the vast sums of money going to the Palestinians are used for terror and educating children to terror.” Rene, who is a supporter of ‘Lev HaOlam,’ also receives packages with products from Judea and Samaria every month. He also spreads word about the packages throughout his community and to other citizens in Switzerland. “I am convinced that we must support and stand with Israel,” he emphasizes.

Bridget, another Swiss citizen who participated in the conference, said “The BDS movement is based on lies. The attempts to boycott Israel are a continuation of the old narrative to harm the Jewish people. The way to fight against this phenomenon is to explain the truth to the world. Only recently, the BDS movement in Switzerland opposed students from Swiss universities travelling to Israel to learn about World War II. They claimed there was not content in the program about the ‘Palestinians.’ Our obligation is to bring the truth, as detailed by Lev HaOlam, to as many young people so that they can be exposed to it and see it for themselves. I am proud to spend my own money to work on this project.”

Attorney Nati Rom stated, “The strategy of the BDS groups is to tell the biggest lie of all- to call Israel an ‘apartheid state.’ When they do so, citizens abroad think ‘Ok, so maybe they’re exaggerating, but there must be some bad things happening there for them to say that.’ This is why it is so important to expose this lie as much as possible.

“We are witnesses to the fact that the number of Israel supporters has only grown. Those who hate Israel are still many and this hatred is rooted in deep anti-Semitism. There is no way to speak with them. In the past, I tried to attend debates at universities, but now I operate differently: we go and strengthen those who want to support Israel and give them the tools to spread the truth.”