From a hip-hop dance troupe to the young ambassador to Israel, America Day splashed red, white and blue all over the Zlotowski Student Center on Monday. Informational booths offered interested students insight into everything from USAID to study abroad options and all the other services of the American Embassy.
While the booths drew students, the Rennie Harris Puremovement dance troupe brought them in droves to clap along and marvel at the athleticism and grace of the dancers. Rennie Harris, based out of Philadelphia, PA offered an historical glimpse into the evolution of hip-hop dance from funk, through b-boy to house and more. The troupe offered a number of half hour shows throughout the day.
To cap off America Day at BGU, the Ambassador’s Forum hosted US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro, who reiterated the unbreakable security relationship between Israel and the US. He stressed that US President Barack Obama was determined to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons. “President Obama is totally committed to prevention and not containment,” he said.
Shapiro also empathized with the terrorizing and untenable situation which faced Southern residents last week as the missiles were falling. “I was initially concerned that I wouldn’t be here today. Two hundred terrorist missiles fell last week. No other country in the world faces that kind of threat. “I often think, as someone who doesn’t face this situation every day, what it would be like when the sirens go off. How would the stress and panic affect my three children?” His children range in age from 5 to 11.
Shapiro pointed to the US allocation of $200 million as a key factor in getting the Iron Dome system up and running as fast as possible. “We are proud of our investment in Israeli technology,” he declared. The ambassador also stressed the potential for Us-Israel economic ventures. While there was already significant trade between the two countries, there was room for much more. “In 2010, US companies bought ten Israeli startups for $1.5 billion,” he said. He also mentioned energy as another potential area of collaboration.
Turning to the regional situation, Shapiro said the US was encouraging those elements in Arab society pushing for democracy. He also tied the fall of the Assad regime to reducing Iranian power in the region. “[Syrian President Bashar] Assad’s fall would be a significant blow to Iran if it were to lose its only Arab ally,” he said.
Above: Giving out advice at an information booth
Above: The Rennie Harris Puremovement dance troupe
Above: US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro speaks at the Ambassadors Forum
For more photographs from the day, please check out the gallery on our Facebook page
