LOOKING BACK • Justice Minister Yossi Beilin in 1999 welcomed the first planeload of Birthright students at the Ben Gurion Airport.  Beilin initiated the scheme, which was backed financially mainly by the philanthropists Charles Bronfman and Michael Steinhardt.  The $210 million project aimed to bring 50,000 students from every corner of the world to Israel over a five year period.  Young Jews were able to visit Israel for a short period of time, free of charge, to strengthen their Jewish identity.