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Friday 18 February 2011

Israeli Consulate Honors Allan Houston with MLK Award


Bob Kaplan, Acting Consul General Ido Aharoni, and Consul Gil Lainer present Allan Houston with the 2011 Martin Luther King, Jr. Award
In celebration of Black History month, on February 16, 2011 Knicks legend and Assistant General Manager Allan Houston received the 2011 Martin Luther King Jr. Award in front of players and fans at Madison Square Garden. Mr. Houston received the award from Ido Aharoni, Acting Consul General of Israel in New York, in honor of his efforts in spreading compassion and uniting communities of all backgrounds.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Award has been presented by the Consulate General of Israel in New York for the past 20 years to individuals and organizations promoting ethnic and cultural understanding. This annual tribute to the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. honors the dream of peaceful coexistence between people of diverse religions, cultures, and ethnicities. To commemorate this great visionary, each year the State of Israel, together with the Jewish National Fund and the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, honor those whose work keeps alive Dr. King’s legacy of hope and peace.
Rene Reinhardt from the JNF; Bob Kaplan, Director of Intergroup Relations for the JCRC; Allan Houston, Assistant General Manager for the New York Knicks; Ido Aharoni, Acting Consul General of Israel in New York; Gil Lainer, Consul for Public Affairs at the Consulate General of Israel in New York
“This tribute today honors Allan Houston for his efforts in promoting diversity and tolerance,” said Acting Consul General Aharoni, “Allan Houston embodies the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr through his work in creating a peaceful co-existence between people of diverse religions, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds.  Dr. King was a great friend to Israel and the Jewish people and was an advocate in the battle against Antisemitism.  Israel proudly commemorates Martin Luther King Day with a special session of its legislature, as well as in every mission worldwide”
In recognition of Mr. Houston’s outreach, the Jewish National Fund has planted trees in his honor in the Dr. Martin Luther King Forest in Israel. These trees come as an addition to trees planted for past honorees which include: Martin Luther King, III, former New York City Mayor David Dinkins, entrepreneur Russell Simmons, opera singer Jessye Norman, author Toni Morrison, jazz legend Lionel Hampton and many others.

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