Mission Itinerary: May 30th - June 5th, 2012
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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 30th, 2012:
- Introductions and Orientation at the Inbal Hotel
- “Understanding the Issues: The Palestinian Perspective”
- “Shaping Israel’s Image: How to be an Effective Advocate” – David Olesker, Jerusalem Center for Communication and Advocacy Training
- Lunch at Inbal Hotel
- “Israel’s Message: Getting the Word Out” – Mark Regev, Spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office
- “Why are We Here?” – Joe Hyams, CEO, HonestReporting.com
- “Confrontation on Campus” – Patrick Amar, professional Israel Advocate and Licensed Tour Guide
- Dinner in Jerusalem overlooking the Old City
Thursday, May 31st, 2012:
- “Serving the Foreign Press in Israel” – Aryeh Green, Director of MediaCentral, Israel’s premier bureau for overseas correspondents
- “The Foreign Media in Israel” – Danny Seaman, Deputy Director General for Information at the Israeli Ministry of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs
- Lunch in the Old City of Jerusalem
- Tour of the Western Wall Tunnels with Lee Glassman, Archaeologist, Historian and licensed Tour Guide, specializing in Jerusalem antiquities
- Itamar Marcus, Palestinian Media Watch (www.pmw.org.il) – Watchdog group that monitors Palestinian media for incitement to violence and anti-Israel propaganda
- Dinner at Noya, an elegant meat restaurant that combines French cuisine and Mediterranean tastes, located in a historic building with magnificent décor
Friday, June 1st, 2012:
- Depart for Gush Etzion bloc:
- "Ethics in the Field: An Inside Look at the IDF" – Ben-Tzion "Bentzi" Gruber, IDF Colonel (res.)
- Settlements; Communities; Outposts: An inside look at different-sized communities over the Green Line
- Visit Kibbutz Kfar Etzion for an audio-visual presentation depicting the fight for Gush Etzion
- Lunch at Gush Etzion Winery, a boutique winery and restaurant
- Free time to prepare for Shabbat
- Traditional Shabbat dinner with IDF soldiers and loads of atmosphere
Shabbat, Saturday, June 2nd, 2012:
- 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
- Buffet-style evening meal at the Inbal hotel
- “Christian Support of the Holy Land”
- “A Shepherd’s Journey” – Ishmael Khaldi, the first Bedouin to serve as a Diplomat representing the State of Israel. One man's story of Israel's culture, society, and politics from the perspective of a Bedouin minority in a Jewish state
- Havdalah – bringing the Shabbat to a close in the traditional way
Sunday, June 3rd, 2012:
- “NGOs, Human Rights and the Campaign to Demonize Israel” – Prof. Gerald M. Steinberg, President, NGO Monitor and Political Science Department, Bar-Ilan University
- “How to use Social Media effectively” – Joe Hyams, CEO, HonestReporting.com
- Working lunch at the Inbal hotel
- Lunch in Jerusalem; travel to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- “The Assault on Israel as the Nation State of the Jewish People” – D.J. Schneeweiss, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- “Israel: A Light to the Nations?” – Danny Ayalon, Deputy Foreign Minister of Israel
- “History In Front of Your Eyes” – Walking tour inside the Old City of Jerusalem, visiting each of the four quarters with Patrick Amar
- Dinner on the balcony of Sheyan, an Asian/Chinese restaurant and a lovely "retreat" in the windmill complex of Jerusalem's Rehavia neighborhood
Monday, June 4th, 2012:
- “Threats and Security Overview” – Elliot Chodoff, Military Analyst, IDF Major (res.)
- VIP visit to IDF Naval Base in Northern Israel
- Discuss current security issues
- Iran and nuclear threats
- Military briefings overlooking Israel’s borders with Lebanon and Syria
- Topographical overlook from the Kinneret
- Dinner in Tiberius
Tuesday, June 5th, 2012:
- “The Struggle for Jerusalem” – Dr. Mordechai Kedar, Head of Arab Studies at Bar-Ilan University, an expert on Israeli Arabs
- “How to Effectively Advocate for Israel: Practical Training” – Neil Lazarus, Director of AwesomeSeminars.com
- “A Journalist’s View” – Caroline Glick, Deputy Managing Editor of The Jerusalem Post
- Light lunch with time for check out
- “The Time For Action is Now” – Roundtable discussion and action groups
- Final Dinner and Closing Remarks in the gardens of the beautiful Anna Ticho House