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Israeli Consulate in L.A. Posts Billboards Expressing Israel-U.S. Solidarity

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April 15, 2020

Showing solidarity with Israel during the coronavirus pandemic, the Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles has placed two billboards on opposite sides of the I-10 Freeway in Baldwin Park in the San Gabriel Valley.

The billboards went on display April 2. One of them depicts a health care worker in medical scrubs and reads, “Thank you. Israel Salutes All First Responders.”

The other shows a boy and girl standing side-by-side, one draped in the Israeli flag, the other in a U.S. flag, and reads, “We Stand Together During these Challenging Times,” and “Israel stands together with the United States as we fight this global pandemic.”

Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles Hillel Newman said in a statement, “It is important to demonstrate how grateful we are to everyone working tirelessly to try and keep us safe and care for those who are ill. We hope that these billboards reflect our sincerest thanks.”

Newman told the Journal the billboards will remain on display for at least a month. “We might prolong [them],” he said, depending on the budget. He added that while nonessential businesses have closed because of the coronavirus, diplomatic missions have been exempted from the emergency order.

As a precaution, the consulate’s staff of more than 40 has been split into two shifts, alternating days to head into the consulate’s West L.A. office. That way, “If someone falls sick, [he or she] doesn’t neutralize the entire staff,” Newman said.

Newman likened his staff to the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, which recently released a video of its members performing remotely from different locations. “I feel like in many ways that is how we are here,” he said. “In the orchestra, everyone is doing their thing — some are at work, some are at home — but they make things move and come out with a harmonious melody.”

The consulate continues to provide services and organize online gatherings and webinars through its recently launched digital series, Israel Connect.

It also has helped Israel acquire emergency equipment, including protective gear, raw materials for the production of drugs and swabs for testing kits, from California companies.

In addition, the consulate has been contacting Jewish communities to make sure they are safe and secure. “People think the consul is sitting idle because we don’t have events or one-on-one-meetings, but we have been very busy with alternative missions,” Newman said. “In many ways we have been more busy than during usual times.”

Touting how, “Israel has one of the lowest mortality rates in the world,” among countries with confirmed cases of the coronavirus, Newman said Israel is accustomed to facing hardships, whether it’s rockets from Gaza or violence in the Middle East. Israelis understand how “life can change in the blink of an eye, that life is fluid and fragile,” and are coming together appropriately, he said.

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