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FRIENDS OF AKIM USA
Earning
Medals And Pride
At
World Special Olympics
Story by Nina and Tim Boxer
Photos by
Tim Boxer
 HUD
OLMERT, Israel’s minister of trade and deputy prime
minister, was relentless in his support of the defensive wall
being built to thwart Arab perpetrators. “To those who criticize
us,” he said, “we say what you do to defend your own people,
we have a similar right to do to defend our people.”
The Israeli minister of trade and former
mayor of Jerusalem addressed the AKIM USA dinner at New York’s
Plaza Hotel, where Hamptons publisher and editor Dan Rattiner
was guest of honor. Dan’s Papers chronicles all that’s
happening on Long Island’s East End.
Olmert warned that if the Palestinians fail
to rein in the terrorists and homicide bombers, “we will relieve
ourselves of all restrictions we have imposed on ourselves and
deal with terror single handedly.”
No matter where the road map leads to, he
declared unequivocally that “we will never go back to the 1967
lines, Jerusalem will remain the undivided capital of the Jewish
state, and we will continue to build the security fence.”
AKIM, which supports mentally handicapped
people in Israel, fielded a group of 31 Israelis at the World
Special Olympics in Dublin last summer. They broke the record in
the 100-meter swim competition.
“The Israelis won 21 medals,” vice
president Terri Baird recounted with pride.
Julie Budd, who sang for the black-tie
guests, said her mother in Brooklyn objected to her show business
career. She wanted her daughter to fix her nose and marry a
doctor.
“I did one—I got the doctor,” Julie
said, raising her finger to display a huge diamond ring.
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