Delegates from the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations visited the Israel-Gaza border and the Israeli Air Force’s F-35 fighter squadron on Thursday during the group’s 45th annual leadership mission to the Jewish state.
The participants started by being the first tour by a foreign party to witness the barrier that Israel has been constructing along the Gaza border.
They also got an in-depth briefing about the Hamas threat of digging tunnels to infiltrate and attack Israel, in addition to the unrest at the Gaza-Israel border, where the delegates were told that more than half of the rioters killed since the turmoil began in May have been Hamas members.
“This a war. This is not a riot. This not the ‘yellow vests,’ ” said the deputy commander of the Israel Defense Forces’ Gaza division, alluding to the recent rambunctious protests in France that included those as part of “yellow-vests” protests in France yelling anti-Semitic profanities this past week at French Jewish philosopher Alain Finkielkraut.
Finally, the delegates became the first foreign group to tour the F-35 squadron and received a briefing from Maj. M., the squadron’s executive officer, in addition to experiencing an up-close look at the jet, along with witnessing a booming take-off.
