Erdan in front of Temple Mount
Erdan in front of Temple MountFlash 90

On Thursday, a delegation of 10 ambassadors to the United States and the United Nations landed at Ben Gurion Airport. The ambassadors were invited to visit Israel by Israel's Ambassador to the United States and the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, shortly after Operation Guardian of the Walls. The trip is part of Ambassador Erdan's information campaign ahead of the start of the 76th UN General Assembly in September, when leaders from around the world will visit the UN headquarters in New York.

Ambassador Erdan said, "There is nothing stronger than sight. A visit to Israel reveals the truth and leaves a mark on everyone who comes here. I set a goal for myself to bring to Israel as many ambassadors to the US and UN as possible to strengthen our position in the world and prove Israel's right to defend itself."

The delegation, organized by Ambassador Erdan in cooperation with the American Zionist Movement and the March of the Living, will visit Israel for seven days. Over the duration of the visit, the delegation will tour sites around the country including the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and Yad Vashem. The delegation will visit the Northern and Southern Commands, receive security briefings from senior Israel Defense Forces officials, and tour Hamas and Hezbollah terror tunnels in addition to meeting residents of the communities near the Gaza Strip and in the north. Meetings with senior government officials are also on the agenda.

The list of countries sending ambassadors includes Australia, Argentina, Bhutan (with whom Israel established diplomatic relations in the past year), Ukraine, Kenya, Guatemala, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Dominican Republic, and Tonga.

Ambassador Erdan said, "I am happy and welcome the ambassadors of the various countries to participate in the visit. This is the first delegation that includes ambassadors from both the UN and Washington. Unfortunately, even in the countries represented on this trip, and of course in the UN, lies are spread against Israel. This was the case during Operation Guardian of the Walls. We will present the truth about Israel to the ambassadors and I am convinced that they will return to their countries and to the UN and Washington with a clearer understanding of Israel's confrontation with terrorist organizations. We will clarify to them the difference between the terrorists who commit war crimes and the democratic State of Israel that works to defend itself and its citizens."