Celebrities, Notables Descend On Israel To Mark Its 60th
"Jerusalem — The Jewish people are marking the 60th anniversary of their national rebirth, the founding of Israel, on Thursday with the usual military flyovers, flag buntings and televised reminiscences of aging pioneers.
"But there is another form of celebration planned, and its sponsors believe it says something about the national character: a three-day conference of some of the best minds from around the world on some of the biggest challenges facing humankind — and especially the Jews — in the coming decades.
“'The brain enriches the pocket, not the other way around,' Shimon Peres, Israel’s president and the patron of the conference, said in an interview. 'We are a small land and a small people, but we can become a daring world laboratory, and that is our desire and plan.'
"Nearly 700 guests are expected to take part next week in 35 discussion groups. They include statesmen like Henry A. Kissinger, Vaclav Havel, Tony Blair and Joschka Fischer, but also Sergey Brin of Google, Terry Semel of Yahoo and Rupert Murdoch, along with seven Jewish Nobel laureates and President Bush."
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