US Jewish leaders had a rare opportunity to engage firsthand with leading experts from the Israeli intelligence community during a recent five-day seminar hosted by the American Friends of the Israel Intelligence Heritage Center (AFIICC).
The activities were not confined to the meeting rooms at the Intelligence Heritage Center in Ramat Hasharon, north of Tel Aviv, as participants traveled the country to gain a better geopolitical perspective.
They visited IDF intelligence bases, the northern border and a cross-border attack tunnel formerly used by Hezbollah and attended briefings on operational missions from the Mossad and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet). They visited the Kerem Shalom crossing at the junction of the Gaza and Sinai borders, Iron Dome battery bases and Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip.
Participants were able to gain a better understanding of the threats posed by Iran and its terrorist proxies and see how close they are to Israel’s borders and civilian communities.
“This is our first major seminar,” said Igal Zaidenstein, president of AFIICC. “We believe that Israel cannot survive without the Diaspora and the Diaspora cannot survive without a strong Israel. We want to strengthen the bonds between U.S. Jewry and Israel and we are bringing experts at the highest levels of the intelligence establishment to address some of the biggest security concerns facing us today and share our knowledge,” he continued.
Zaidenstein launched the AFIICC in November 2022 with the intention of engaging in outreach to the American Jewish community.
The Heritage Center also houses a museum, which commemorates the sacrifices made by the men and women of the intelligence community who have fallen in defense of Israel since the birth of the modern state.
The seminar participants joined in the annual commemoration ceremony for the fallen of the Israeli intelligence community.
They also attended lectures on topics including Artificial Intelligence (AI), big data and the new challenges facing the intelligence community. Information sharing between Israel’s security organizations was of particular interest.
Former Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon spoke about intelligence and national policy. Maj. Gen. (res.) Aharon Ze’evi-Farkash, chairman of the Israel Intelligence Heritage and Commemoration Center and former head of the IDF Intelligence Directorate (AMAN), also briefed the seminar participants.
Brig. Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, director of the Institute for the Research of the Methodology of Intelligence (IRMI), said, “Israel’s intelligence history, achievements and values make us all proud and make Jews around the world feel connected to the Jewish state. This seminar provided an opportunity to hear from Israel’s best intel personnel and experience the unprecedented openness in information sharing between Israel and the Diaspora.
“Emerging technologies like AI, blockchain and encryptions are double-edged swords because they can be used for both positive and negative purposes. The landscape that we operate in is rapidly changing and we are open to hearing fresh angles on some of the challenges we face,” he continued.
“We really hope to encourage young Jewish leaders to be more connected to Israel, and this seminar was hopefully the start of many to come,” said Kuperwasser.
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