![Deputy Consul General of Israel Speaks at Republican Party Meeting [VIDEO]](https://austincountynewsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Israel-Consulate.jpg)
Standing room only was the sight Thursday night at the Austin County Republican Party meeting to hear Daniel Agranov speak on foreign affairs in Israel. Agranov serves as Deputy Consul General of Israel to the Southwest United States which is located in Houston, TX.
Michael Skrivanek welcomed those in attendance and commented on the standing room only crowd. He then introduced State Representative Lois Kolkhorst, District 13. She gave an update on the situation on the Texas Mexico border. Kolkhorst explained how the Texas State Troopers are aiding in the patrol. “Before the State Troopers began their patrols of the border 6,600 crossings were being reported each week that number has decreased to 2,100 per week,” stated Kokhorst. “These troopers are great servants working tirelessly to help protect our borders.”
Next Mrs. Dan Leedy introduced the speaker for the evening. Daniel Agranov has been serving in his position for three weeks and the crowd at Tony’s Restaurant were his first formal speaking engagement in the United States.
Most recently, he served as Deputy Consul General of Israel to St. Petersburg, Russia. A Consulate he was instrumental in establishing. Prior to this, Agranov worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which included missions to Angola and Kazakhstan. The Russian native holds a bachelor’s degree in Economy and Science and a master’s degree in Finance and Marketing, both from Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
In his speech he explained to the crowd the dynamics of the situation Israel is faced with due to terrorism. “We are surrounded by Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan, from those four the terrorist groups Hezbollah of Lebanon, ISIS of Syria, and the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt all are at odds with Israel,” stated Agranov. He went on to explain these terrorist groups are responsible for the deaths of thousands of civilians.
He also explained that Israel is a democracy, which holds elections unlike the areas surrounding Israel. The United States was the first country to recognize Israel as a state in 1948. Since then, Israel has become, and remains, America’s most reliable partner in the Middle East. Israel and the United States are bound closely by historic and cultural ties as well as by mutual interests.
One of those interests is Natural gas. Agranov explained that a large deposit of natural gas has been found beneath the soils of Israel. “With the aid of the United States we have found large deposits of natural gas lies beneath Israel.” Noble Energy, Inc. based in Houston aided in that exploration.
When asked what could be done to help Israel he explained to the group moral support for Israel is needed. “We need moral support through social media,” stated Agranov, “words of encouragement would be a great place to start.” The consulate can be reached through www.israelhouston.org.
