CALIFORNIA AND ISRAEL SIGN PACT TO STRENGTHEN ECONOMIC, RESEARCH TIES

Mountain View, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today signed a broad agreement to develop joint projects and conduct mutually beneficial research in California and Israel.

"Through this agreement, California and Israel will build on their respective strengths in research and technology to confront critical problems we both face, such as water scarcity, cybersecurity and climate change," said Governor Brown.

The agreement will boost economic, cultural and academic cooperation between California and Israel, with an emphasis on water conservation, alternative energy, cybersecurity, health and biotechnology, education and agricultural technology.

The agreement will also enable Israeli companies to access California's Innovation Hubs (iHUB), an innovation network that includes 16 clusters of research parks, technology incubators, universities and federal laboratories, together with economic development organizations, business groups and venture capital funds.

The agreement, signed today, is copied below:

Memorandum of Understanding On the Establishment of a Strategic Partnership for Joint Innovation, Exchanges and Cooperation Between The Government of the State of California, United States of America And The Government of the State of Israel

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA (hereinafter "the Participants") RECOGNIZE THAT:

WHEREAS, two-way trade between Israel and California totaled over $4 billion in 2013 - one of the largest two-way trade relationships between Israel and a U.S. State; and

WHEREAS, the State of California and the State of Israel share close ties and are global leaders in the alternative energy, environmental technology, and other technology-based industry sectors; and

WHEREAS, the State of California is home to the largest in-state innovation network in the United States, which offers technology-commercialization opportunities for the State of Israel; and

WHEREAS, the Participants seek to expand the current level of cooperation between Israel and California in, but not limited to, alternative energy, environmental technology, health, food and agriculture and other technology based industry sectors, business innovation, research and development.

THEREFORE, IT IS DECLARED AS FOLLOWS:

The Participants hereby sign this Memorandum of Understanding for the purposes of establishing a formal relationship between them to foster economic cooperation and economic development, facilitate joint industrial research and development, and enhance business relationships and educational opportunities to foster job creation and incubate global solutions from joint California-Israel innovation initiatives.

To achieve these aims:

1. The Participants intend to seek to convene bilateral, interagency and inter-ministerial working groups with international expertise to coordinate initiatives.

2. The Participants plan to facilitate collaborations between Israeli and Californian entrepreneurs and researchers through (though not exclusively limited to) the California innovation hub (iHub) network - a network consisting of self-funded, collaborative regional innovation clusters, uniting government, universities, foundations, national labs and the private sector.


3. The Participants intend to support and encourage their people and competent authorities to further develop interpersonal contacts and exchanges, and to promote mutual cooperation, understanding, and friendship by encouraging ad hoc task forces, trade delegations, and professional exchanges between Israel and California in key sectors including, but not limited to:

a.) Water Conservation and Management

b.) Alternative Energy and related Clean Technologies

c.) Health and Biotechnology Solution

d.) CyberSecurity

e.) Arts & Culture

f.) Education

g.) Agricultural Technologies

4. The Participants intend to support and encourage the creation of public-private partnerships between Californian and Israeli entities in these areas of economic development, social entrepreneurship, or academic research related to the above activities.

5. The Participants intend to support and encourage the strengthening of sister city programs between Israeli and California cities, which are designed to enhance opportunities for cultural and educational exchanges, economic partnerships, and social entrepreneurship on the local level.

6. The Participants intend to encourage collaboration between California and Israeli universities, public and private research institutions.

This Memorandum of Understanding is intended to become effective on the date it is signed and does not create any legally binding rights or obligations for either Participant. This Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Mountain View on the 5th day of March, 2014, corresponding to the 3rd day of Adar II of 5774.

BEST OF 2013: RCN Travel: Sea of Galilee: Perfect Place For A Christian Pilgrimage

The Gospel Trail was opened in November 2011.

 Photo courtesy of Israel Ministry of Tourism

By Avigayil Kadesh
  Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs - The State of Israel

Jesus of Nazareth grew up in the verdant area near the Sea of Galilee. Modern visitors can see the places where his ministry flourished.

"And Jesus went about all Galilee teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people" Matthew 4:23.

The Sea of Galilee, known as Lake Kinneret to Israelis, lies on the ancient Via Maris that linked Egypt with the northern empires. Its strategic location and excellent fishing made the lake’s vicinity a popular place for Greek, Hasmonean and Roman settlement. And because Jesus of Nazareth grew up in this area, his ministry revolved around the Sea of Galilee.

The Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke describe how Jesus recruited the Galilee fishermen Simon and his brother Andrew and the brothers John and James as apostles. His famous Sermon on the Mount is believed to have been delivered on a hill overlooking the lake, and this is also the body of water upon which the Gospels say he walked. The miracle of the loaves and fishes took place on its banks.

That’s why, ever since the times of the Byzantine Empire, the Sea of Galilee and its environs have attracted countless Christian pilgrims. Today, Christian tourists account for at least 65 percent of incoming tourism to Israel. And in the Sea of Galilee region, there’s more than ever to tie modern believers with the origins of Christianity.

Walking on water

The Sea of Galilee itself is a major Christian tourist attraction because this is where Jesus is said to have walked on the water (John 6:19-21), calmed a storm (Matthew 8:23-26) and showed the disciples miraculous catches of fish (Luke 5:1-8; John 21:1-6). Several tour companies offer Christian-themed boat rides, and there’s even a “Walking on Water” Christian tour around the lake.

Speaking of walking, the Israel Ministry of Tourism and Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund inaugurated the $3 million Gospel Trail  in November 2011 along the paths that Jesus is believed to have walked on his way from his childhood home of Nazareth to the future center of his ministry in Capernaum (Kfar Nahum, in Hebrew) on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. The signposted footpaths and roads of the 62-kilometer trail, which begins at Mount Precipice near Nazareth, can be traveled by foot, bicycle or car.

Not to be confused with the Gospel Trail (although there is necessarily some overlap) is the ecology-centric Jesus Trail, completed in February 2008 at the initiative of Israeli backpacking/hostelling industry pioneer Maoz Inon. This route runs 65 kilometers, beginning in Nazareth about 16 miles from the Sea of Galilee and passing through Zippori National Park, Cana, Moshav Ilaniya, Kibbutz Lavi, Karnei Hittin, Nebi Shu’eib, Arbel National Park, Migdal, the “Jesus Boat Museum” at Kibbutz Ginosar (where a 2,000-year-old boat raised from the Sea of Galilee is exhibited), Tabgha, the Mount of Beatitudes and Capernaum.

Church at Capernaum built over the ancient house of St. Peter

Photo by Mordagan for the Israel Ministry of Tourism 

Capernaum National Park

The ancient village of Capernaum  – sometimes called “the town of Jesus” -- lay in ruins until it was discovered in 1838 by an American explorer. Later archeological excavations uncovered the former sites of a church and a synagogue.

In 1968, the Franciscans restored these sites and also revealed a house that may have been inhabited by the Apostle Peter and served as a meeting place for early Christians, judging by the many fragments of plaster found there with Christian symbols and inscriptions including the names of Jesus, Simon and Peter.

A large octagonal church was built around the house of St. Peter, featuring a mosaic floor, and in the 1990s the Franciscans built a modern church on top of these ruins. It has a glass floor in the middle so visitors can see the original church below.

It’s possible to hike to Capernaum National Park via the Gospel Trail or Jesus Trail, or from a two-mile promenade along the Sea of Galilee. And a dock built by the Israel Parks and Nature Authority, near the antiquities site, allows tourists to sail to Capernaum from Tiberias and Ein Gev.

Pilgrims can wander among the park’s natural and domesticated plants, such as the Christ-thorn jujube, said to be the species from which the crown of thorns was made that Jesus was forced to wear at the crucifixion.

Tabgha

Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes at Tabgha 

Photo courtesy of Israel Ministry of Tourism

Tabgha (the word is an Arabic corruption of the Greek name Heptapegon, or Seven Springs – Ein Sheva in Hebrew) is on the lush northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, so it’s not hard to imagine why Christians of the early Byzantine period found it an attractive place to live and to commemorate the ministry of Jesus and the miracles ascribed to him here. The earliest building found at Tabgha, from the fourth century CE, was once a small chapel – perhaps the shrine described by the fourth-century Spanish pilgrim Egeria.

The fruitful garden of Tabgha is accepted traditionally as the site where Jesus fed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish, as described in Matthew 14: 13-21. Hence the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes was built here in the fifth century, as well as the Church of St. Peter's Primacy (where Jesus is said to have appeared to his disciples after the resurrection) and several other Byzantine-period monasteries, churches and shrines.

The monastery and church at Tabgha were destroyed in the seventh century, probably during the Arab conquest of the country, and buried beneath a thick layer of silt and stones. In the 1980s, after excavation, the church and portions of its original mosaic floors were restored. One of the mosaics depicts a basket of bread flanked by two fish, and it was moved in front of the altar. The church belongs to the Order of the Benedictines and is open to visitors.

Kursi National Park

Kursi, east of the Sea of Galilee at the mouth of a riverbed descending from the Golan Heights, is traditionally the spot where Jesus healed two men possessed by demons, as described in Matthew 8:28-33. A huge sixth-century monastery and church built there to commemorate the miracle lay hidden in ruins until road construction in the early 1970s unexpectedly exposed it to the modern world. The Israeli government excavated the site and developed it into a national park.

The Israel Antiquities Authority discovered evidence that the monastery was once quite a busy hub for pilgrims. A paved road led from the monastery to a small harbor where the Christian pilgrims arrived in boats, and another paved path led from the entrance of the monastery complex to a large plaza in front of the church at the center of the complex.

To the south of the church there was a chapel with mosaic paving over a crypt containing the tombs of monks who had served in the monastery. The complex apparently had living quarters for monks and overnight accommodations for pilgrims as well. The whole structure was abandoned after a devastating eighth-century earthquake.

Mount of Beatitudes, Mount Arbel, Mount Tabor

The Mount of Beatitudes, on a low hill near Tabgha, is the spot where Jesus is believed to have given the Sermon on the Mount ("Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven ...”).

Israeli PM Netanyahu and US Secretary of Defense Hagel

PM Netanyahu: In the last four years, we’ve greatly enhanced the defense and security relationship between Israel and the United States, and I am absolutely confident that we will continue to further strengthen this under your stewardship of the American defense establishment.

(Communicated by the Israeli Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

Following are the statements made this morning (Tuesday, 23 April 2013), by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, prior to their meeting at the former's office in Jerusalem:

Prime Minister Netanyahu: "Secretary Hagel, Chuck, welcome to Jerusalem again, but this time in your current capacity as Secretary of Defense.

This is a special welcome. In the last four years, we’ve greatly enhanced the defense and security relationship between Israel and the United States, and I am absolutely confident that we will continue to further strengthen this under your stewardship of the American defense establishment. This is important because we face many challenges, as you well know, and I look forward to discussing with you how we overcome these challenges in our continued cooperation.

Israel appreciates deeply, the support, the military and security support, that it enjoys from the United States – it reflects a very deep alliance between our two countries and the defense of our common interests and our common values.

Nowhere are these values and interests challenged more than by the arming of terrorist groups by Iran with sophisticated weapons, and equally, Iran’s attempt to arm itself with nuclear weapons. This is a challenge that Israel cannot accept, and as you and President Obama have repeatedly said, Israel must be able to defend itself, by itself, against any threat. In any case, it is good to have you in Jerusalem.  It is good to have the support, friendship and alliance of the United States.  We deeply appreciate it.
Welcome to Jerusalem."

US Secy. Of Defense Hagel:  "Thank you.  Prime Minister Netanyahu, thank you.  I am grateful for your personal courtesies, hospitality and personal relationship.  I'm also pleased to be back in Israel.  As you have noted, I have been here many times.

My first trip was in the late 1980's when I was president of the USO, and I've always appreciate this country, the people, the leadership and the courage that you represent and what has been produced in Israel.  It is a model for the world, and the relationship between our two countries, just as you have noted, is as strong as it's ever been, not only measured by the military-to-military, all the other metrics that apply to relationships, but as you also noted, Prime Minister, it is based on common values and respect for others, and that is the foundation of any relationship.

You noted that the region is not getting any less complicated.  This is a difficult and dangerous time.  This is a time when friends and allies must remain close, closer than ever.  I'm committed to continue to strengthen this relationship, secure this relationship, and as you know, one of the main reasons I'm here is to do that.  I've had very good conversations the last two days with your Defense Minister.  I had a good conversation with President Peres yesterday.  I was able to take a long tour up in the north and the eastern borders here, and once again it reminds me of the dangers and difficulties and challenges.

But I believe together, working with our allies and our friends, we will be able to do what is right for your country, my country, and make this region a better region and a more secure region, and make Israel more secure.  So I look forward to our conversation, and thank you for your many courtesies in welcoming me to Israel.

Thank you."

Prime Minister Netanyahu:  "Let's go work."

Israel Independence Day

Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs - The State of Israel

Israel celebrates 65 years of independence 14 Apr 2013 Remembrance Day for the Fallen of Israel's Wars and Israel Independence Day

The national anthem: Hatikva Israel Independence Day is celebrated annually on the anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel, according to the Hebrew calendar, on 5 Iyar (this year celebrated one day later because of the Sabbath). The day preceding this celebration is devoted to the memory of those who gave their lives for the achievement of the country's independence and its continued existence. This proximity is intended to remind people of the heavy price paid for independence. On this day the entire nation remembers its debt and expresses eternal gratitude to its sons and daughters who gave their lives for the achievement of the country's independence and its continued existence. On May 14, 1948, the day the British Mandate expired, the new Jewish state - the State of Israel - was formally established in parts of what was known as the British Mandate for Palestine. With the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, Jewish independence was restored after 2,000 years. Independence Day is a celebration of the renewal of the Jewish state in the Land of Israel, the birthplace of the Jewish people. In this land, the Jewish people began to develop its distinctive religion and culture some 4,000 years ago, and here it has preserved an unbroken physical presence, for centuries as a sovereign state, at other times under foreign domination. Throughout their long history, the yearning to return to the land has been the focus of Jewish life. Theodor Herzl, the leader and founder of the Zionist movement, increased international recognition for the need of a Jewish state. Since its establishment, Israel continues to be a homeland to the thousands who make their way to Israel annually. It is home to some of the holiest religious sites of the three major religions, all which enjoy the democratic rights delineated in the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel. Remembrance Day, Yom Hazikaron, which begins on Sunday evening, April 14, is a day of collective and personal anguish mingled with awe and honor for the fallen. The official events begin at 8:00 PM with a moment of national silence heralded by a one minute siren. Yizkor Officer places a flag on a fallen soldier's grave. (Archive photo: IDF Spokesperson) On Monday, ceremonies commence at 11:00 AM at 44 IDF military cemeteries located throughout the country following a two minute blast of the siren. There will also be a ceremony for overseas Mahal volunteers who fought and died during the War of Independence, which will take place near the Sha'ar Hagai Junction. Israel's flag, adorned with a black ribbon and memorial flame, is placed on each and every grave of those who fell in Israel's battles and are buried in military cemeteries throughout Israel. It expresses the country's respect for the fallen as well as the entire country's participation in the grief of the families. "The ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly..." - In memory of those who have fallen while on duty in the Israeli Foreign Service  David Ben-Gurion  declares the  establishment of  the State of Israel Independence Day Israel's 65th Independence Day celebrations will commence on Monday evening, April 15, immediately upon the conclusion of Remembrance Day, when the state flag is raised to full mast at a national ceremony on Mount Herzl, at which twelve torches are lit. Independence Day is filled with festivities and celebrations including picnics, barbecues, family gatherings and nature trips. Balconies, car windows, store fronts and more are liberally decorated with Israeli flags. Relevant documents and websites Izkor - Memorial to Israel's Fallen (in Hebrew) In Memory of the Victims of Terror in Israel (in Hebrew) Remembrance Day/Independence Day - Selected Readings The Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel Fascimile of the Declaration of Independence (Hebrew) The State of Israel Is Born: Headlines from the world press May 1948 Israel at 65: A statistical glimpse Map of Israel within Boundaries and Ceasefire Lines - 2006 FACTS ABOUT ISRAEL: The State FACTS ABOUT ISRAEL: History - Independence  Israel's wars

President Peres meets with US Secretary of State John Kerry

President Peres meeting with Secretary of State Kerry in Jerusalem
   Photo: Mark Neiman/GPO

Communicated by the Israeli  President’s Spokesperson
 Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs - The State of Israel


President Peres: “From the ashes of the Holocaust, we re-built the Jewish State with the capacity to defend ourselves, the energy to rebuild our land and with the heritage of justice for all."


President Shimon Peres, this afternoon (Monday, 8 April 2013), met with US Secretary of State John Kerry; the two held a diplomatic working meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, the threat of a nuclear Iran and the strategic relationship between the two countries. At the beginning of the meeting the two delivered joint statements to the press and then conducted a small meeting in the president's private study.

President Peres began the meeting by welcoming Secretary of State Kerry and reflecting on Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day: "I welcome you here today to the State of Israel on behalf of all the people of Israel. We appreciate you being with us today, on Holocaust Memorial Day, and for taking part in the memorial ceremony this morning. We paid a heavy price and lost one third of our people. Yet from the ashes of the Holocaust, we re-built the Jewish State with the capacity to defend ourselves, the energy to rebuild our land and with the heritage of justice for all."

President Peres ended on a personal note and said, "We have a long friendship, I've never been disappointed and when I've been surprised it's been for the better."

Secretary of State Kerry, who attended this morning's Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony said, "It's really such an honor to be here today and to share in Holocaust Memorial Day. To be there in Yad Vashem, to lay a wreath on behalf of the American people but most importantly just to share in the uniqueness of that expression of sorrow and honor for this remarkable moment in history which we mark. I was standing there listening to the siren wail and thinking of the stories people have told me of everybody in Israel stopping, if you're in a car you get out and you stand to attention.

The whole country freezes. And I know it's one of only two moments when that happens. For Holocaust Memorial Day and for the fallen in battle.

RCN Travel: Sea of Galilee: Perfect Place For A Christian Pilgrimage

The Gospel Trail was opened in November 2011.

 Photo courtesy of Israel Ministry of Tourism

By Avigayil Kadesh
  Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs - The State of Israel

Jesus of Nazareth grew up in the verdant area near the Sea of Galilee. Modern visitors can see the places where his ministry flourished.

"And Jesus went about all Galilee teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people" Matthew 4:23.

The Sea of Galilee, known as Lake Kinneret to Israelis, lies on the ancient Via Maris that linked Egypt with the northern empires. Its strategic location and excellent fishing made the lake’s vicinity a popular place for Greek, Hasmonean and Roman settlement. And because Jesus of Nazareth grew up in this area, his ministry revolved around the Sea of Galilee.

The Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke describe how Jesus recruited the Galilee fishermen Simon and his brother Andrew and the brothers John and James as apostles. His famous Sermon on the Mount is believed to have been delivered on a hill overlooking the lake, and this is also the body of water upon which the Gospels say he walked. The miracle of the loaves and fishes took place on its banks.

That’s why, ever since the times of the Byzantine Empire, the Sea of Galilee and its environs have attracted countless Christian pilgrims. Today, Christian tourists account for at least 65 percent of incoming tourism to Israel. And in the Sea of Galilee region, there’s more than ever to tie modern believers with the origins of Christianity.

Walking on water

The Sea of Galilee itself is a major Christian tourist attraction because this is where Jesus is said to have walked on the water (John 6:19-21), calmed a storm (Matthew 8:23-26) and showed the disciples miraculous catches of fish (Luke 5:1-8; John 21:1-6). Several tour companies offer Christian-themed boat rides, and there’s even a “Walking on Water” Christian tour around the lake.

Speaking of walking, the Israel Ministry of Tourism and Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund inaugurated the $3 million Gospel Trail  in November 2011 along the paths that Jesus is believed to have walked on his way from his childhood home of Nazareth to the future center of his ministry in Capernaum (Kfar Nahum, in Hebrew) on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. The signposted footpaths and roads of the 62-kilometer trail, which begins at Mount Precipice near Nazareth, can be traveled by foot, bicycle or car.

Not to be confused with the Gospel Trail (although there is necessarily some overlap) is the ecology-centric Jesus Trail, completed in February 2008 at the initiative of Israeli backpacking/hostelling industry pioneer Maoz Inon. This route runs 65 kilometers, beginning in Nazareth about 16 miles from the Sea of Galilee and passing through Zippori National Park, Cana, Moshav Ilaniya, Kibbutz Lavi, Karnei Hittin, Nebi Shu’eib, Arbel National Park, Migdal, the “Jesus Boat Museum” at Kibbutz Ginosar (where a 2,000-year-old boat raised from the Sea of Galilee is exhibited), Tabgha, the Mount of Beatitudes and Capernaum.

Church at Capernaum built over the ancient house of St. Peter

Photo by Mordagan for the Israel Ministry of Tourism 

Capernaum National Park

The ancient village of Capernaum  – sometimes called “the town of Jesus” -- lay in ruins until it was discovered in 1838 by an American explorer. Later archeological excavations uncovered the former sites of a church and a synagogue.

In 1968, the Franciscans restored these sites and also revealed a house that may have been inhabited by the Apostle Peter and served as a meeting place for early Christians, judging by the many fragments of plaster found there with Christian symbols and inscriptions including the names of Jesus, Simon and Peter.

A large octagonal church was built around the house of St. Peter, featuring a mosaic floor, and in the 1990s the Franciscans built a modern church on top of these ruins. It has a glass floor in the middle so visitors can see the original church below.

It’s possible to hike to Capernaum National Park via the Gospel Trail or Jesus Trail, or from a two-mile promenade along the Sea of Galilee. And a dock built by the Israel Parks and Nature Authority, near the antiquities site, allows tourists to sail to Capernaum from Tiberias and Ein Gev.

Pilgrims can wander among the park’s natural and domesticated plants, such as the Christ-thorn jujube, said to be the species from which the crown of thorns was made that Jesus was forced to wear at the crucifixion.

Tabgha

Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes at Tabgha 

Photo courtesy of Israel Ministry of Tourism

Tabgha (the word is an Arabic corruption of the Greek name Heptapegon, or Seven Springs – Ein Sheva in Hebrew) is on the lush northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, so it’s not hard to imagine why Christians of the early Byzantine period found it an attractive place to live and to commemorate the ministry of Jesus and the miracles ascribed to him here. The earliest building found at Tabgha, from the fourth century CE, was once a small chapel – perhaps the shrine described by the fourth-century Spanish pilgrim Egeria.

The fruitful garden of Tabgha is accepted traditionally as the site where Jesus fed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish, as described in Matthew 14: 13-21. Hence the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes was built here in the fifth century, as well as the Church of St. Peter's Primacy (where Jesus is said to have appeared to his disciples after the resurrection) and several other Byzantine-period monasteries, churches and shrines.

The monastery and church at Tabgha were destroyed in the seventh century, probably during the Arab conquest of the country, and buried beneath a thick layer of silt and stones. In the 1980s, after excavation, the church and portions of its original mosaic floors were restored. One of the mosaics depicts a basket of bread flanked by two fish, and it was moved in front of the altar. The church belongs to the Order of the Benedictines and is open to visitors.

Kursi National Park

Kursi, east of the Sea of Galilee at the mouth of a riverbed descending from the Golan Heights, is traditionally the spot where Jesus healed two men possessed by demons, as described in Matthew 8:28-33. A huge sixth-century monastery and church built there to commemorate the miracle lay hidden in ruins until road construction in the early 1970s unexpectedly exposed it to the modern world. The Israeli government excavated the site and developed it into a national park.

The Israel Antiquities Authority discovered evidence that the monastery was once quite a busy hub for pilgrims. A paved road led from the monastery to a small harbor where the Christian pilgrims arrived in boats, and another paved path led from the entrance of the monastery complex to a large plaza in front of the church at the center of the complex.

To the south of the church there was a chapel with mosaic paving over a crypt containing the tombs of monks who had served in the monastery. The complex apparently had living quarters for monks and overnight accommodations for pilgrims as well. The whole structure was abandoned after a devastating eighth-century earthquake.

Mount of Beatitudes, Mount Arbel, Mount Tabor

The Mount of Beatitudes, on a low hill near Tabgha, is the spot where Jesus is believed to have given the Sermon on the Mount ("Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven ...”).

Building Bridges Through Basketball: Peace in Israel’s Younger Generation

BY LEE SATTERFIELD
Lee Satterfield is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cultural and Professional Exchanges in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

Just days before President Barack Obama set off for his historic trip to Israel and the Palestinian Territories, 16 Jewish and Arab-Israeli teens traveled to the United States to engage their American counterparts and highlight the strong relationship between the U.S. and Israeli people. Using the sport of basketball, these young people have focused their efforts on peace-building and cooperation -- two themes central to President Obama's visit.

Engaging young people is a strategic priority for the United States. After all, today's youth are tomorrow's leaders. And, sports are a vehicle in which we can engage young people from around the world on the court, in the classroom, and in their communities.

During this international exchange, these young Israelis -- whom I first met at the Peres Center for Peace during a recent trip to Israel -- engaged with their American counterparts in Columbus, Ohio and Washington, D.C. Teaming up with our private-sector partner World Learning, we were able to exchange ideas, hopes, and aspirations on ways in which our countries can work together in the future.

Seeing these young faces and watching them interact with America's youth -- on the basketball court and in the community -- sends a clear signal that together through greater understanding we can all seek peace and cooperation that builds a better world for all.

President Obama visited Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan.

In the first foreign trip of his second term in office, President Obama visited Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan.

Trip Schedule

WEDNESDAY

• President Obama arrived in Tel Aviv, Israel, marking the President's first trip to Israel as President of the United States.
  WATCH THE VIDEO
• President Obama viewed an *Iron Dome Battery in Tel Aviv, Israel.
• Later, President Obama attended a bilateral meeting with Israeli President Peres in Jerusalem.
• In the afternoon, President Obama attended a bilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, followed by a press conference.
  WATCH THE VIDEO
• In the evening, President Obama attended a working dinner hosted by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.

* Iron Dome is a short range rocket and mortar defense system, which was developed by Israel and produced with U.S. assistance. The Iron Dome system has saved countless Israeli lives, most recently during the November 2012 Gaza conflict.

THURSDAY

• President Obama visited the Israel Museum, where he viewed the Dead Sea Scrolls and attended a technology expo.
• President Obama traveled to Ramallah, West Bank where he was greeted with an official arrival ceremony.
• In the afternoon, President Obama had a bilateral meeting with Palestinian Authority President Abbas.
• President Obama participated in a working lunch with Palestinian Authority President Abbas followed by a press conference.
• Later, President Obama attended a cultural event at Al-Bireh Youth Center and met with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Fayyad.
• President Obama gave a speech at the Jerusalem Convention Center.
  WATCH THE VIDEO
• In the evening, President Obama attended a dinner hosted by Israeli President Peres and received the Presidential Medal of Distinction.

FRIDAY

• The President attended wreath laying ceremonies at Mount Herzl at the grave sites of Theodor Herzl and Yitzhak Rabin.
• President Obama visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum and participate in a wreath laying ceremony in the Hall of Remembrance.
• In the afternoon, President Obama traveled to Bethlehem where he will tour the Church of the Nativity.
• President Obama traveled to Amman, Jordan where he will be greeted by an official arrival ceremony.
• President Obama had a bilateral meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan followed by a press conference.
• In the evening, the President had dinner with King Abdullah II of Jordan.

SATURDAY

• President Obama traveled to Petra.
• President Obama returned back to the United States.

The President's Schedule Today

President Barack Obama waves to the audience after delivering remarks at the Jerusalem Convention Center in Jerusalem, March 21, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

2:55 AM	The President participates in a wreath laying ceremony at the grave of Theodor Herzl Local Event Time:  8:55 AM Jerusalem, Mt. Herzl
3:10 AM	The President participates in a wreath laying ceremony at the grave of Yitzhak Rabin Local Event Time:  9:10 AM Jerusalem, Mt. Herzl
3:35 AM	The President tours the Hall of Names Local Event Time:  9:35 AM Jerusalem, Yad Vashem
4:10 AM	The President lays a wreath in the Hall of Remembrance Local Event Time:  10:10 AM Jerusalem, Yad Vashem
4:30 AM	The President signs a guest book and delivers remarks in the Hall of Children Local Event Time:  10:30 AM Jerusalem, Yad Vashem
5:15 AM	The President has lunch with Prime Minister Netanyahu Local Event Time:  11:15 AM Jerusalem, King David Hote
7:15 AM	The President tours the Church of the Nativity with President Abbas Local Event Time:  1:15 PM Bethlehem, West Bank
9:20 AM	The President departs Tel Aviv, Israel en route Amman, Jordan Local Event Time:  3:20 PM Ben Gurion International Airport
9:55 AM	The President arrives Amman, Jordan Local Event Time:  4:55 PM Queen Alia International Airport
10:35 AM	The President arrives at Al Hummar, the official offices of His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan Local Event Time:  5:35 PM Al Hummar Offices, Amman
10:40 AM	The President is met by His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan with an official arrival ceremony Local Event Time:  5:40 PM Al Hummar Offices, Amman
10:55 AM	The President participates in a restricted bilateral meeting with His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan Local Event Time:  5:55 PM Al Hummar Offices, Amman
11:15 AM	The President participates in an expanded bilateral meeting with His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan Local Event Time:  6:15 PM Al Hummar Offices, Amman
11:45 AM	The President and His Majesty King Abdullah II host a press conference Local Event Time:  6:45 PM Al Hummar Offices, Amman
1:50 PM	The President attends a dinner with His Majesty King Abdullah II Local Event Time:  8:50 PM Amman, Beit Al Urdun Private Residence