“I want to emphasize that Israel belongs to all Jews: Israeli born, or Israeli immigrants such as my wife and myself, but also to each and every Jew in the diaspora. Israel belongs to all of us,’’ said businessman and philanthropist Sylvan Adams as he gave a speech at an event marking the 125th anniversary of the First Zionist Congress in Basel.
He spoke about his vision and activities in promoting Israel and the Jewish world through major culture and sport events.
Since making Aliyah in 2016 from Canada, Sylvan Adams has brought to Israel the first three stages of the Giro d’Italia Grand Tour bicycle race in 2018, Madonna to perform at the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv in 2019, co-founded the Israel WorldTour cycling team and brought huge football matches and Judo Grand Slams to Israel. During the last year, Adams has opened the Sylvan Adams Children’s Hospital in Holon, and the world’s biggest and most advanced emergency room at Ichilov in Tel Aviv.
Adams said: “Calling Israel an apartheid nation is an affront to those who suffered under that despicable system. I am as capable as any to make the defensive case for Israel, based on our virtuous national principles and ancient Jewish values. But with my projects, I am not trying to convince the haters and the anti-Semites. Rather, I am speaking to the a-political silent majority, in their living rooms and on their mobile phones. I am on the offensive side of the field, and this is where we can score goals with the silent majority”.