We Honor Israel holding gala on Sept. 15 in Durham

We Honor Israel is holding its second Honor Israel Gala on Sept. 15 in Durham, N.C., from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Hilton Durham.

The group held its first gala in January, saying “it is incumbent upon right minded people to develop a response and to educate those open to reason for the support of Israel and the Jewish people, and to openly oppose the antisemitism and its results,” given increasing antisemitism, Israel boycotts and “growing boldness” of those who want Israel destroyed.

Itai Reuveni, director of communications at NGO Monitor, will speak at the event. The group investigates non-governmental organizations that funnel money to Hamas, Hezbollah and other groups under charitable guises. He lives in Ashkelon and has been deployed to northern Israel.

Also speaking is Sondra Baras, founder of Christian Friends of Israeli Communities. A Cleveland native, she moved to Karnei Shomron in Samaria in 1988 and became a spokesperson for the communities of Judea and Samaria. She founded CFOIC Heartland in 1998 after working to connect Christians with the territories. The group raises funds for those communities and encourages tourism to biblical sites.

Rebecca Pinchevsky, Southeast regional assistant director for Alums for Campus Fairness, will discuss the situation on college campuses, how universities are dealing with pro-Hamas agitators — and how some are not.

Hal Mettes, chair of the Honor Israel Gala, will give a presentation on Islam, having lived in a Muslim majority country and visited most other Muslim majority countries in his over 40 years of study. His first visit to Israel was in 1986.

David Marini, founding pastor of Calvary Chapel in Chapel Hill, will emcee the gala. He has led numerous trips to Israel and spoken extensively on Israel. He will be joined by Calvary Chapel vocalist Vince Vincent, who has performed at Lincoln Center, as well as in Paris, Vienna and Rome.

Sponsors include NGO Monitor, North Carolina Coalition for Israel, CFOIC Heartland, and Alums for Campus Fairness.

Tickets are $100 for adults, $75 for youth. Meal choices are brisket, chicken or vegetarian pesto pasta, and are kosher. There are discounted room rates at the Hilton available.