Forty-five participants from around the world joined HonestReporting to commemorate 50 years since Israel’s astonishing victory in the Six-Day War and the reunification of Israel’s capital city Jerusalem.
A week of high-level speakers, field tours, discussions and debate kicked off with the inspiring story of American-born Rabbi Dov Lipman’s immigration to Israel and subsequent election to the Knesset.
FIFTY YEARS SINCE JERUSALEM’S REUNIFICATION
While the visit of US President Donald Trump brought much of Jerusalem to a virtual standstill, Colonel (ret.) Miri Eisin gave the HR Mission a seminar on the political, religious and strategic environment of the city that would have exceeded anything that the US State Department could have produced for POTUS.
From geo-politics down to the municipal level, Jerusalem city councilor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum explained in a behind-the-scenes briefing at City Hall, how the Municipality serves the different sectors of Jerusalem’s population, including the unique difficulties of providing for the Palestinian residents of eastern Jerusalem who, by and large, refuse to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the city, yet benefit from generous health provisions, national insurance and other services that all Israelis enjoy.
THE EVOLUTION OF WARFARE
The consequences of Israel’s 1967 victory continue to loom large, raising questions over Israel’s future. Mission participants gained vital history and context courtesy of military analyst and IDF Major (res.) Elliot Chodoff who examined the evolution of warfare tactics over the past 50 years on a field tour of battle sites in Israel’s north as well as the Latrun Armored Corps Memorial Site.
This also included an exclusive VIP briefing with Major Simcha Shore, newly retired head of Israel’s drone program within the IDF Intelligence Corps. Mission participants even had a chance to try out their skills flying their own drones.
ARE SETTLEMENTS THE REAL OBSTACLE TO PEACE?
Are settlements the real obstacle to peace? The Mission group attempted to answer this question, learning about the history and unique challenges of the region thanks to the expertise of IDF Brigadier-General (res.) Bentzi Gruber. The group toured communities in the disputed territories, hearing from both settlers and those who oppose them.
But it’s not only facts on the ground. International law expert Professor Eugene Kontorovich addressed the legal status of Judea and Samaria 50 years later giving an exhaustive overview of the status of Jewish settlements and Israeli rights in the disputed territories going back decades before the birth of the modern state of Israel.
ISRAELI HI-TECH AND CYBER-SECURITY
Having looked at the past, the Mission also looked into the future on a visit to the southern city of Beersheva, hearing from executives pioneering ingenious start-ups in the field of cyber-security and hi-tech that is driving the Israeli economy forward.
WHAT REALLY GOES ON BEHIND THE SCENES
The Mission also got to hear from voices able to give a direct insight into their fields. Israeli-Arab journalist Khaled Abu Toameh spoke about the dangers and difficulties of reporting on the Palestinian Authority and Hamas while exposing what Palestinian leaders really say to their people in Arabic. ABC and i24 News reporter Jordana Miller gave her own personal stories about how the foreign media operates from and reports on Israel while the Rev. Dr. Petra Heldt gave a comprehensive briefing on the status of Christians in the Holy Land and the many different internal politics at play between the different denominations.
DEPUTY MINISTER MICHAEL OREN ADDRESSES THE MISSION
Who better to address the Six-Day War than the most prominent historian of the conflict, Deputy Minister for Diplomacy in the Prime Minister’s Office, Dr. Michael Oren, who gave the Mission his thoughts 50 years on and the thinking behind the Israeli government’s current policies.
THE DIPLOMATIC CHALLENGES OF PRESENTING ISRAEL’S CASE
It was also an honor to be hosted by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs where the Mission heard from spokesperson Emmanuel Nahshon on the challenges of presenting Israel’s case to the media and the world, while Director of Digital Diplomacy DJ Schneeweiss outlined the huge impact that Israel is having on social media platforms.
Of course, the Mission benefited from hands-on advocacy training courtesy of Neil Lazarus, learning how to win any debate about Israel in two minutes as well as hearing from HonestReporting’s Managing Editor and CEO about the latest developments within the organization and the exciting projects taking place.
JOIN NEXT YEAR’S SPECIAL MISSION AND CELEBRATE ISRAEL’S 70TH BIRTHDAY!
This is only a snapshot of HonestReporting’s most successful Mission to date. Next year, we will be marking the 70th anniversary of Israel’s independence with a very special Mission based in both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. To find out more about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of the country’s history, see our Mission website – https://honestreporting.com/mission/ – or clicking on the image below.
