Mission Itinerary: May 22nd - May 28th, 2013
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The following is a sample itinerary based on previous Missions, and is for information purposes only (subject to change).
Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013:
- Introductions and Orientation at the Inbal Hotel
- “Welcome to Israel” – Mark Regev, Spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office
- “Fighting Media Bias” – Joe Hyams, CEO, HonestReporting
- Travel to HonestReporting's International Headquarters for a buffet lunch with panoramic views of Jerusalem
- “Israel 2013” – Amotz Asa El, former Executive Editor of The Jerusalem Post, fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, staff columnist at The Wall Street Journal/MarketWatch, and a private consultant for media ventures
- “A New Government: What does it all mean?” – Gil Hoffman, one of Israel's foremost English-speaking domestic policy analysts
- Dinner at Sheyan, an Asian restaurant and a lovely “retreat” in the windmill complex of Jerusalem's Rehavia neighborhood
Thursday, May 23rd, 2013:
- Bus leaves for MediaCentral, Israel's premier bureau for overseas correspondents
- “Serving the Foreign Press in Israel” – Aryeh Green, Director of MediaCentral
- Itamar Marcus, Palestinian Media Watch (www.pmw.org.il) – Watchdog group that monitors Palestinian media for incitement to violence and anti-Israel propaganda
- Travel to Sderot for lunch and solidarity visit
- *EXCLUSIVE* VIP Visit to the Gaza Border Crossing – Overview of the region plus briefings by IDF spokesperson responsible for humanitarian aid into Gaza [to be confirmed]
- Return to Jerusalem
- Evening at leisure
Friday, May 24th, 2013:
- “The Struggle for Jerusalem” – Dr. Mordechai Kedar, Head of Arab Studies at Bar-Ilan University, an expert on Israeli Arabs
- Bus to Gush Etzion bloc for an inside look and discussion regarding settlements in the disputed territories
- Free time to prepare for Shabbat
- Traditional Shabbat dinner in Jerusalem with IDF soldiers and loads of atmosphere
Shabbat, Saturday, May 25th, 2013:
- Optional Shabbat morning services in the beautiful 100-year-old synagogue of Yemin Moshe overlooking the walls of Jerusalem, or in other congregations throughout Jerusalem (other options available from hotel Concierge)
- Shabbat lunch: home hospitality with English-speaking families who live in Jerusalem
- “What Arabs Inside Israel are Really Thinking” – Khaled Abu Toameh, Israeli Arab, West Bank and Gaza correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, and the U.S. News and World Report
- Sulaiman Khatib, former security prisoner, founder of “Combatants for Peace”
- Buffet-style evening meal at the Inbal hotel
- Havdalah – bringing the Shabbat to a close in the traditional way
Sunday, May 26th, 2013:
- “NGOs, Human Rights, and the Campaign to Demonize Israel” – Prof. Gerald M. Steinberg, President, NGO Monitor and Political Science Department, Bar-Ilan University
- “Contrasting Secular and Religious Agenda Terroism” – Dr. Jonathan Fine, Academic Advisor for Government, Diplomacy, and Strategy at the IDC, Herzliya, Israel
- Lunch in Jerusalem
- “Give Peace a Chance” – Hagit Ofran, Director of the Settlement Watch project of the Israeli Peace Now movement
- Tour of the Western Wall Tunnels with Lee Glassman, Archaeologist of the Western Wall Tunnels, and Tour Guide
- Free time at the Western Wall
- Dinner at Noya, an elegant meat restaurant that combines French cuisine and Mediterranean tastes, located in a historic building with magnificent décor
Monday, May 27th, 2013:
- Travel north for a full day with Elliot Chodoff, Military Analyst, IDF Major (res.):
- Depart Jerusalem via Jordan Valley along the Jordanian Border
- Picnic lunch in the Golan Heights
- Ascend Mt. Ben Tal
- Topographical overlook from the Kinneret
- Dinner in Tiberias
- Return to Jerusalem
Tuesday, May 28th, 2013:
- Time for packing and check-out for those leaving today
- "Ethics in the Field: An Inside Look at the IDF” – IDF Colonel (res.) Ben-Tzion “Bentzi” Gruber
- “How to Effectively Advocate for Israel: Practical Training” – Neil Lazarus, Director of AwesomeSeminars.com
- Light lunch at the Inbal Hotel
- “Reporting From Israel” – David Horovitz, Founding Editor, The Times of Israel
- Final Dinner and Closing Remarks in the gardens of the beautiful Anna Ticho House