Tuesday – Travelling with the CCAR Board (in process)

Much of Tuesday is classified. We met with MK (Knesset member) Colette Avital. A longtime Labor party stalwart, she gave us her take on the current Israeli political situation and what may happen. In her view, Israel is transfixed with the security issues. Other pressing problems – the economy, the educational system, the long-planned Constitution – were all ignored by the press and the voters. Labor tried to bring out their agenda during the election, but was given short shrift. With everyone focused on Hamas, it was an easy win for the right. Her fear – a new Israeli generation is growing up hating and mistrusting the Arabs, replacing what had been only anger and fear.

After our meeting, we were transferred to the Israeli Foreign Ministry (In Hebrew, the literal translation is the Exterior Ministry.) We were ushered to the crisis center – below the building, beyond a bomb blast door, to a room with clocks set at different times around the world. Everything was off the record, but suffice it to say that Israel takes very seriously the threat of a nuclear Iran and is desperate for consistent help from the West in reigning Iran in.

Lunch was