Taking a break from political work, ambassadors to Israel from 27 countries toured Israeli social service programs.
The Jewish Agency for Israel hosted the tour, which took ambassadors from countries including China, France, Mexico and a host of African nations to agency programs across the country. The group visited an absorption center in the Galilee, an aliyah youth village for Ethiopians and Russians, and a coexistence program where Israeli youth study spoken Arabic.
“I’m in Israel for two years already, and it is the first time I had an opportunity to see with my own eyes what the Jewish Agency is all about,” said Lithuania’s ambassador to Israel, Asta Skaisgiryte. “The scale of their work is something that I could not imagine until I saw with my own eyes.”
Jewish Agency chairman Zeev Bielski said it was an opportunity to showcase Israel beyond politics.
“The ambassadors that are located in Israel are very much aware of the political situation, but they are not aware of the activities of the Jewish Agency in Israel and what we do in their countries,” Bielski told JTA.
