Former Isreali Ambassador Visits Fayette County

Yoram Ettinger, a retired Isreali ambassador to the U.S., was in Fayette County recently as part of a larger visit to the U.S.

As part of his time here, he had lunch with Governor Rick Perry, spoke at Senglemann Hall and at Temple Israel in Schulenburg and even found time to stop by The Fayette County Record.

While at the newspaper, Ettinger, who lives in Jerusalem, talked about how at home he feels in Texas and the similarities between the two places.

“There is Texas pride - it’s the Lone Star State,” Ettinger said. “I feel very at home here because I come from the state of the Lone Star of David. Both of us are Lone Stars. That stands for a cando mentality and the realization that if not me protecting my existence, then I should not expect anyone else to do the fighting for me.”

Among the other places Ettinger visited locally was Brenham.

He said that in all the small towns he visited, there is a feeling that is lacking in the bigger cities.

“I like small town America. It still clings to what I call the legacy of the Founding Fathers,” Ettinger said. “Texas small towns particularly have that sense of independence, patriotism and attachment to roots. Whether you are or church-goer or not, there is a respect toward religion.

“In big cities they see religion as something to be suspicious of or negative about ... All this resonates very well with me as an Israeli. In Isreal we talk about patriotism and attachment to roots. Compared to most other countries in the world, we rank higher, even during crisis, like the war we are in right now, in optimism, and patriotism is high.”