International Seminars

A group of prominent Indian journalists visited Israel July 26-August 1 through Project Interchange, an educational institute of AJC.

The week-long program was conducted in an intensive seminar format, offering the group broad exposure to the complex issues facing Israel and the region. Participants witnessed demonstrations of Israeli innovations in such areas as water desalination and electric car technology, met with Israeli counterparts, and heard about bilateral partnerships between India and Israel. Read more »

A delegation of North African leaders visited Israel with Project Interchange on a seminar conducted June 29-July 4, 2010. For this program, Project Interchange targeted opinion leaders from Morocco and Algeria, as well as influential figures from North African communities in Europe.

Participants were treated to sessions on Israel’s history, politics, and society. They were also given an overview on Israel’s economic partnerships and foreign policy, including the status of relations between Israel and their home countries. Also on the agenda were discussions on the Israeli media and Jewish-Arab cooperative initiatives being undertaken in Israel. Additionally, the group participated in a helicopter tour over Israel’s southern region for a first-hand observation of the country’s geographic constrictions.

Twelve leading journalists from across Latin America visited Israel for intensive dialogue and briefings as guests of Project Interchange, an institute of the American Jewish Committee (AJC). The delegation, which included print and broadcast media figures from Venezuela, Costa Rica, Chile, Panama, and Argentina, traversed much of Israel to learn about the country in such areas as domestic politics, foreign relations, and economic and scientific innovation. The Project Interchange seminar was organized in cooperation with the AJC Latino and Latin American Institute. Read more »

The Presidents, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, and several Ambassadors of the Pacific Island nations of the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Nauru came to Israel for a nearly week-long visit to enhance their relationship with Israel and expand ties between these long-standing and important allies.

The trip was inaugurated by official invitation by Israeli President Shimon Peres, and was implemented under the auspices of Project Interchange, an institute of the American Jewish Committee, in collaboration with Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Read more »

Fourteen journalists and journalism students from Scandinavia visited Israel January 3-8 for an educational seminar organized by Project Interchange in cooperation with Thanks to Scandinavia, both institutes of the American Jewish Committee. These promising young journalists experienced Israel firsthand and learned about what it’s like to work as a reporter in a sensitive region - specifically, in a complex country that receives substantial coverage by the international media. Read more »

An 11-member delegation including several of Turkey’s most influential media figures visited Israel December 6-11 for discussions with media counterparts, government officials, and other Israeli leaders.

The 5-day seminar, organized by Project Interchange, followed last month’s diplomatic visit to Turkey by Benjamin (Fouad) Ben-Eliezer, Israel’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor, during which he and Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc called for improved bilateral ties. Relations have soured somewhat this year as Turkey’s Prime Minister publicly reproached Israel for its campaign in Gaza, welcomed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Istanbul, and barred Israel from participation in a long-planned NATO war-games exercise. Read more »

A group of ten senior staffers from the European Parliament and related institutions visited Israel for a five-day educational seminar organized by Project Interchange. With Israel-EU relations at a critical juncture, the visit provided the delegation with a better understanding of Israel’s history, diversity, and strategic objectives.The group consisted primarily of foreign policy advisors to Members of the European Parliament, where staffs tend to be small and hold considerable influence. Many were active participants of a parliamentary committee that handles relations with Israel. Other participants were delegates from NATO and the European Saving Bank.

The trip included meetings with leaders across the political and social spectrum in Israel, including Members of Knesset, senior Israeli diplomats, Palestinians and Israeli Arabs. Discussion topics ranged from the Iranian threat, to protecting civil rights while combating terrorism, to Israel as a worldwide leader in medicine, technology and environmental sustainability.

The seminar marked the fifth European delegation that Project Interchange has hosted in Israel this year.

An international delegation of 13 counterterrorism experts visited Israel with PI to study the country’s efforts at combating terrorism. The esteemed group of journalists, academics, and government officials from nine countries met with their Israeli counterparts to establish cooperative ties and exchange views on best practices. The five-day educational seminar also shed light on the Israeli response to terror in societal, political, and historical contexts.

As a complement to the Project Interchange program, the delegation took part in the plenary sessions of the annual World Summit on Counter Terrorism, hosted in Herzliya by the International Institute for Counter Terrorism.

A high-profile delegation of ministers and policy makers from Rwanda and Uganda traveled to Israel for a five day seminar to review existing cooperation and develop further ties. Participants met with Israeli lawmakers, NGO directors, as well as government officials, academics, and leaders of industry. Touching on critical areas of policy making, the seminar addressed a range of opportunities in bilateral trade, development, and medicine.

This seminar provided an opportunity for Indian journalists to explore Israel and her evolving relationship with India. Participants met with government and business leaders to discuss India-Israel trade ties, including progress in irrigation solutions at the offices of NaanDan Jain- a joint venture between Israeli and Indian firms. Programs led by heads of the Middle East Media Research Institute and the IDF’s communications branch provided a forum for discourse on media trends throughout the Middle East and South Asia. The group also examined the interplay between minority and majority religious groups in Israel and India.