Academic Exchange Mission to Israel
Sample Itinerary
Sunday
Tel Aviv
| Arrival at Ben-Gurion Airport
Transfer and check-in at the David Intercontinental Hotel, Tel Aviv |
|
| 7:00pm | Opening dinner at the hotel
Introductory Remarks: Judy Goldstein A Historic Overview of the State of Israel Dinner and discussion with Dan Meridor – Former MP in Likud party |
| 9:30pm | Dinner concludes/Return to hotel |
Overnight at the David Intercontinental Tel Aviv
Monday
Tel Aviv
| 8:00am | Depart for the Yitzhak Rabin Center |
| 9:00am | Guided tour of The Israeli Museum |
| 11:15-12:45pm | The New Landscape of the Middle East
Brig. Gen Assaf Orion – Head of the strategic division in the IDF |
| 1:00pm | Depart for Kafr Bara – Lunch en route |
| 2:00-3:30pm | The Israeli Arab Perspective
Machmud Assi – Mayor of Kafr Bara |
| 3:30pm | Depart for Gush Etzion Winery |
| 6:00-8:00pm | The Settlers’ Perspective
Dinner and discussion with Mr. Oded Ravivi – Head of Efrat Regional Council |
| 8:00pm | Depart for the hotel |
Overnight at the David Intercontinental Tel Aviv
Tuesday
Israeli-Egyptian-Gaza border
| 8:00am | Depart for the South |
| 10:00am-12:00pm | Tour of Kerem Shalom crossing point |
| 12:30pm | Lunch en route |
| 1:00-2:30pm | Tour along the Israeli communities in the South
Meeting with NGO: The Movement for the Future of the Western Negev |
| 2:30pm | Depart for Tel Aviv |
| 4:30-6:00pm | Where Does the Third Uprising Lead Israel and the Palestinians? Avi Issacharoff – Palestinian and Arab Affairs Correspondent for Walla Web Mr.Amos Harel – Defense Correspondent |
| 7:45pm | Israel, Politics and the International Community
Dinner and discussion with Aluf Benn, Editor-in-Chief of Haaretz Newspaper at Lumina Restaurant |
| 10:00pm | Dinner concludes/Return to hotel |
Overnight at the David Intercontinental Tel Aviv
Wednesday
Tel Aviv – Jerusalem
| 8:30-10:00am | Israel’s Economy
David Brodet – Chairman of Bank Leumi |
| 10:30am | Depart for Herzliya airport |
| 11:00am | Helicopter tour |
| 12:00pm | Land in Kiryat Shmona– Tour at the Golan Heights
Brig. Gen (res) Nitzan Nuriel |
| 12:20-1:20pm | Metula and Dado Lookout
The Security Challenges on the Lebanese Border, Hezbollah Military Deployment in South Lebanon, Life on the Borderline |
| 1:20-2:20pm | Drive to the Golan through the Druze Villages
The Druze Dilemma, Shaba’a Farms and Ghajar |
| 2:20-2:40pm | Quneitra
Briefing on the History of the Borders and Conflicts between Israel and Syria |
| 2:40-3:40pm | Mount Bental
The civil war in Syria and Security Situation in the Golan |
| 3:40pm | Take off from Marom Golan |
| 3:40-5:00pm | Travel west along Lebanese border to Golan Heights
South over the Sea of Galilee – Southwest over the West Bank |
| 5:00pm | Land in the vicinity of Jerusalem |
| 5:30pm | Check-in at the David Citadel Hotel |
| 7:30pm | Depart to dinner at 1868 Restaurant |
| 10:00pm | Dinner concludes/Return to hotel |
Overnight at the David Citadel Hotel
Thursday
Ramallah
| 8:00-11:00am | Depart for the Palestinian city of Rawabi
Meeting and discussion with Mr. Bashar Masri – founder of Rawabi |
| 11:00am |
Depart for Ramallah and meeting with Palestinian Officials |
| 4:00pm | Return to the Hotel/Break |
| 6:00-7:30pm | Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations: Now & Then
Brig. Gen. (res.) Michael Herzog – former military secretary to the Minister of Defense, in the Olive Roomat the hotel |
| 8:00pm | Depart for Dinner at Jacko Street Restaurant |
| 10:00pm | Dinner concludes/Return to hotel |
Overnight at the David Citadel Hotel
Friday
Jerusalem
| 8:30am | Depart for Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum |
| 9:00-12:00pm | Guided tour of Yad Vashem |
| 12:00-1:15pm | Light lunch at the Hotel |
| 1:30-3:00pm | Israeli Democracy Moshe Halbertal – Professor of Jewish Thought and Philosophy at Hebrew University at the hotel |
| 3:15-4:30pm | The Role of the Media: Coverage vs Incitement
Mohammed Daraghmeh, Freelance Palestinian Journalist Itamar Marcus– Director of Palestinian Media Watch |
| 6:30pm | Meet in lobby to walk to the Old City |
| 7:00pm | Welcoming of the Sabbath at the Western Wall |
| 8:00pm | Shabbat Dinner in the Old City |
| 10:00pm | Dinner concludes/Return to the hotel |
Overnight at the David Citadel Hotel
Saturday
Shabbat in Jerusalem
| 10:00am-2:00pm | Guided walking tour of the Old City of Jerusalem led by archaeologist Dr. Ian Stern |
| 2:00-6:30pm | Lunch and Sabbath nap |
| 6:30-8:00pm | Torah (optional) and Wine on the Terrace |
| 8:00pm | Shabbat ends |
| 8:45pm | Dinner at the Rooftop restaurant – Mamilla |
| 10:30pm | Optional – Night tour of the Western Wall Tunnels |
Overnight at the David Citadel Hotel
Sunday
Jerusalem
| 8:30-9:45am | Israeli-PA Security Coordination
Neil Kritz – Senior Scholar in Residence United States Institute for Peace |
| 10:00-11:30am | Israel Policy Toward the UN
Col. (Res).Adv. Daniel Reisner- Former head of the IDF International Law Division |
| 11:45am-1:00pm | Religion, Identity and Justice: A Deeper Look at the Israeli-Palestinian Dynamic
Dr. Tal Becker, Legal Advisor at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| 1:00pm | Break/ Light Lunch |
| 1:45-3:00pm | Israel as a Jewish and Democratic State: Case Study and Simulation Exercise
Dr. Tal Becker |
| 4:45-5:50pm | Break/Check-out |
| 6:00pm | Dinner & closing discussion by Judy Goldstein at Touro Restaurant |
| 8:00pm | Depart for Ben-Gurion Airport |