From J Post:

Despite the ongoing violence with the Palestinians, and more recently the Tel Aviv suicide bombing, thousands of American Jewish students will be echoing their support for Israel when they arrive here next week.

On Sunday, 3,100 students will join 400 peers, including Avidan and Klabanoff, already in the country as part of the Birthright Israel program.

Birthright was founded in 1999 as a means of providing Jews ages 18-26 a 10-day free trip to Israel.

Even though the Reform Union of American Hebrew Congre-gations decided last week to cancel its youth trips to Israel, Birthright has stood by its trips and has allowed them to proceed as planned. According to their estimates, 1,000 more students are due to arrive in Israel next month.

"Seventy percent of our students are coming," said Dr. Shimshon Shoshani, International CEO of Birthright. "That's a great achievement, in spite of the violence in Israel and the decision of some Jewish organizations not to come."