The Jerusalem Post covered a mission of 11 senior Latin American journalists hosted by the B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem, which was meant to show foreign journalists a more positive image of Israel and to give them a better understanding of Israel’s unique challenges.

Read in the Jerusalem Post.

Working hard to show foreign journalists a more positive image of Israel

With anti-Semitism and anti-Israel propaganda on the rise in many countries, major Jewish organizations are working hard to show foreign journalists a more positive image of Israel, and to give them a better understanding of the Jewish people.

At the forefront of these organizations with regard to Latin America is the B’nai B’rith World Center in Jerusalem, which recently hosted a group of 11 senior print and broadcast journalists from Argentina, Costa Rica, Panama, Uruguay and Chile for a week-long visit to Israel in which they toured the country from the southern to the northern borders meeting with Jews, Muslims, Druze, Baha’i and Christians, and learning the differences between various groups from each.

During the visit, which concluded two days prior to the elections, they learned about Israel’s vibrant democracy, diverse population and freedom of the press.

They visited leading Israeli start-ups, joint Jewish-Druze and Jewish-Muslim projects, toured Masada and stood in awe and horror at Yad Vashem.

The journalists were accompanied by Josef Gabriel, president, B’nai B’rith Costa Rica and vice chair, B’nai B’rith Central America; and Grace Agosin, a representative of the Chilean Jewish community. They were guided by educator Gabriel Ben-Tasgal.

Among the people who spoke to them and with whom they entered into conversation were: Lior Hayat, head of the National Public Diplomacy Directorate; Oded Revivi, mayor of Efrat; Jonathan Peled, Foreign Ministry deputy director-general and head of the Latin American and Caribbean Division; Lior Ben Dor, director of the ministry’s Egypt and Maghreb Department; Middle East experts Jana Beris, Dr. Mordechai Kedar and Dr. Ely Carmon; Prof. Michel Strawczynski, director of the Bank of Israel’s Research Department; former MK Amal Nasereldeen; Reserve IDF Maj. Shaadi Halul, who is the founder of the Israel Christian Aramaic Association, and many others too numerous to mention.

“We remain convinced that there is no substitute to actually visiting Israel and being exposed to its many facets,” says B’nai B’rith World Center Director Alan Schneider.

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Read the full article in the Jerusalem Post.