JTA — Military and political leaders from around the world were introduced to Israel’s security challenges in a trip to the Jewish state organized by the Our Soldiers Speak NGO.
The 42 participants in the mission to Israel have spent 10 days being briefed by members of Knesset and Supreme Court, leaders from the Shin Bet and Israel Police; active and reserve officers from the Israel Defense Forces’ Northern Command, Infantry, Air Force, Technology and Logistics branches; and Israeli diplomats.
The delegation included participants from the US Special Forces, military intelligence and Coast Guard; congressional staffers; senate legal clerks; commanders from the Swiss Armed Forces, a lecturer from the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda; a legal adviser to the International Committee of the Red Cross; and an advocate to the High Court of Tanzania.
They visited centers of coexistence between Jews and Arabs. The also were briefed with a status report on the Palestinian Authority and Hamas and an analysis of the Gaza border riots and the laws of armed conflict. They also were briefed on “lone wolf” terror activity.
The group’s mission statement says it is “working to combat ignorance about Israel to people around the world.”
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